Tron: The Revolution Begins -- Drabbles Collection
by Panda Bear Lover 317
Summary: A series of short stories and forgotten details throughout the Tron: The Revolution Begins trilogy starting from the discovery of the Specials towards the end of Beck and Ally's struggle against Clu and his oppressive forces. Along with the mysterious explanations and stories behind some of their friends and secret involvements throughout the timeline.
1. Discovery

**Chapter 1 – Discovery**

Kevin Flynn's POV

He sat down at his desk in the basement of his arcade and started typing into the keyboard.

**$login: -flynn  
#bin/LLLSDLaserControl-ok**

Kevin hit the enter key and a message box popped up as he heard the digitizer turn on with a hum.

**Aperture clear?**  
** Yes No **

He hit and 'y' key and the laser activated. In the blink of an eye, he was inside the Grid-version of his arcade basement.

Kevin Flynn stood up and walked out the doors of the building. He was greeted with Tron and Clu – as usual. It's been almost a few HiloCycles since the ISOs had been discovered. Since then, Clu's project to create and maintain the perfect system had to be put off so these Isomorphic Algorithms could be situated.

It was a bit awkward at first – Clu was noticeably uncomfortable around these new Programs and the Basics had little to no knowledge of how they should've dealt with it. However, Flynn made sure to set the example of welcoming these new Programs.

Kevin turned to Tron. "How are things, Tron? Any recent trouble?"

Tron hesitated. "Um, well, everything's fine regarding the ISOs but…well…the gang problems are getting worse."

"We'll talk more about that later. Clu?" Flynn turned to face his digital copy. "Anything new?"

Clu opened his mouth to answer when a security Program quickly approached.

"Tron, Flynn, the…*pant pant*…unknown activity in the Outlands. It's getting weirder."

Tron turned to the Program. "What kind of activity?"

Kevin subtly raised an eyebrow. He'd heard nothing about activity in the Outlands.

"Movement, sir," The Program straightened up. "I…think there're Programs in the boundaries."

"Then get them out." Clu said simply. "Bring them into the City and we'll take care of the rest."

The Program hesitated to reply. "…There's at least a few dozen out there."

"Gangs?" Flynn asked.

"I…I don't think so." The soldier's communicator beeped and he checked it. "Here's an update: They appear to be wandering aimlessly. Not a single one has a disk." He looked up at Tron. "Requesting permission to investigate at a closer distance."

"Negative." Tron answered. "I'll check it out."

"Chill, Tron, we'll all go together." Flynn replied easily, pulling out his Encom 786 baton. "It'll be fun! Like old times."

"I certainly hope not." Tron muttered. That Program, he was too much like Alan. He never thought Kevin's ideas of fun were…fun.

Clu said nothing and followed them in silence.

"I have the locations where the closest Programs were last seen." Tron reported, "This is very unusual. I don't think these are ISOs – this is nowhere near the Sea of Simulation."

"Maybe they wandered away from the Sea undetected." Clu suggested. "It's happened before."

Flynn glanced at Clu curiously. "It has?"

"It wasn't important." Tron answered quickly. "No one got hurt."

The System Monitor pulled the brake on his bike and derezzed it back into a baton, pocketing the stick. "This is the last location of one of the Programs but I don't see anyone."

"We'll split up and look around." Flynn grinned. "This is fun. It's like hide and seek."

He could clearly see on Tron's face that he wanted to say, as usual, 'This is serious, Flynn. We don't know what we're dealing with.' But he kept his mouth shut this time.

They all knew though, they really didn't know what they were dealing with.

Flynn trudged off in his own direction and glanced around the different sized rocks. He whirled around to face Tron when he heard the Monitor say, "I've got footprints."

Tron had his hand on the ground and he was catching traces of glowing red footprints. Clu took the lead and pulled out his disk as he followed the trail. The blade lit up with that usual hum as he stalked towards a large rock where the footprints stopped.

Without warning, something jumped out from behind the rock and tackled Clu to the ground. Flynn's digital copy started wrestling with whatever the thing was and they rolled around.

Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be inflicting any harm towards Clu; they were just wrestling each other. The User started laughing at the sight. Tron stood up and furrowed his brows at the two Programs on the ground.

The unknown Program was clearly stronger than Clu, as he eventually pinned the System Administrator down. Clu's disk lay abandoned far out of his reach. The Program on top of Clu leaned forward and growled at the mask.

Tron cautiously approached the Program unarmed. "Identify." He commanded quietly.

The unknown Program immediately responded to the words and turned towards the Monitor. He said nothing but kept his eyes trained on Tron, clearly trying to figure out if he was a threat as well.

This time, Flynn took the initiative and stepped forward with an amused grin…unarmed, of course. "As much as I enjoy watching Clu get his ass handed to him, I'd kindly ask you to get off my digital copy. I promise he won't hurt you."

The Program hesitated for a few nanos but eventually complied. Flynn took that as a good sign. "What's your designation?"

The unknown Program responded a little faster this time. "Identification: Shaun. Programmed to be an architect and soldier."

Clu grunted and sat up, removing his mask. "Two Programmings? That seems a bit unusual." He grabbed his disk and stood up.

Shaun whirled around, ready to knock Clu down again but Tron put a hand on his shoulder. Clu put his disk back and walked away, grumbling something along the lines of 'how was this supposed to be fun' and 'I'm going back to my room for a drink.'

Kevin looked at Shaun's back. "You don't have a disk," He observed. "Did you have one previously?"

Shaun shook his head. "I've been walking around here ever since I was created."

"Who created you?" Tron asked.

"I know I didn't," Kevin interjected. "I think we have another type of Program now. This should be fun. Looks like we have another race created by the Grid." He cocked his head and looked at Shaun again. "Are there more like you?"

Shaun nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah. They're just…walking around like I was."

Kevin looked thoughtful. "Well, how would you like to live in a City with other Programs?"

Shaun frowned. "Are they going to attack me?"

He had to suppress a laugh. "No, they're friendly. They've recently welcomed another typed of Program into their City. It's very peaceful around there."

It didn't take long for Shaun to consider it. "Okay."

"Flynn," Tron's voice sounded quiet but full of awe. "You need to look at this." He had a pair of binoculars and was looking around with them. His jaw was slack.

Kevin took the binoculars and held back a gasp. He could see dozens of diskless Programs wandering around. Some were alone, others were in groups. They weren't lined up and walking in one direction like the ISOs when they crawled out of the Sea but…

"They're scattered." He observed. "This is interesting." He turned to Tron. "Arrange to have search parties sent out to round up these Programs and brought back." He rubbed his forehead and handed Tron back the binoculars. "The next few cycles should be interesting."

"I haven't seen anything like this before." Tron said, pocketing the binoculars. "Then again, there are a lot of things I haven't seen in my lifetime."

Flynn nodded. "You and me both." Flynn pulled out his baton. "Oh, and Tron," The Monitor turned towards the Creator again. "You should probably also inform your teams to approach these guys unarmed, heh?"

Flynn rezzed his bike and invited Shaun to sit behind him, which the Program reluctantly did, holding on tightly even before they started moving.

"Flynn?" Tron asked. "Should this event go in the archives?"

Kevin laughed. "Are you kidding? Yes! Let it be known that a new Program knocked Clu flat in less than 10 nanos!" He got serious again. "All joking aside though, this is yet another discovery we've made here in this digital frontier. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there were other new things out there waiting to be found."

Tron pulled out his baton and rezzed his bike. "Yes, sir. But we may need to proceed with caution from here on out."

Kevin Flynn nodded. "I couldn't agree more. There's no telling what could happen here. Even I wouldn't know. You be careful too, Tron."

Tron and the Creator parted ways. "I'll try." He said quietly. "But I'm more worried about you."

* * *

**Okay, that's the first chap. I DO have plans to add detail to or write little short stories in here regarding the **Tron: The Revolution Begins trilogy I've finished. However, I am inviting any and all people reading this to make requests of where and when in the story timeline you'd want me to work on (if there were possibly loose ends that were never tied up and such or if you want more detail from certain events). Otherwise, I'm going to write a couple short stories of my own ideas about some events that I think would be fun to help define some of the personalities of the characters I wrote.  
****

****I also figured it best to bring this up: I'm going to try and post little chapters in timeline order as much as possible so it'd help me a lot if requests are made soon. Just sayin', I don't bite ;)  
TRON LIVES! Toodles.****


	2. Manifestation of Friends and Enemies

**Okay, because I'm probably going to be on holiday starting tomorrow...and gone on Tron Tuesday as well, I figured I'd give this to you guys now. I'm just gonna say right now, this is the beginning of Zoe's life...I also found out a small hiccup in the storyline. I forgot about Avery...who was a member of Tron's team. I figured I should tie up loose ends with him too...eventually.**

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Manifestation of Friends and Enemies**

Zoe's POV

She wasn't among the first groups of Specials to come out of nowhere…but definitely not the last.

Zoe opened her eyes and immediately squinted to see someone towering over her. Her fighting Programming kicked in and she sent the too-close Program sprawled on the ground while she stood over him.

He groaned and slowly sat up. "You know, I probably shouldn't have done that."

Now knowing he wasn't going to hurt her nor intended to in the first place, Zoe rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "No, I'm sorry." She said. "I was just…confused."

"Not a problem." He got to his feet. This guy was a few good inches taller than her and had bluish/white primary circuits and purple secondary colors. He held out his hand for her to shake. "Avery," He introduced himself, "I'm like you…I also happen to be one of Tron's recruits."

Avery studied her for a long moment. "You look like you'd make a great candidate for his group. Are you Programmed to fight because, well," He glanced over his shoulder to look back at where she was laying just a few nanos ago. "That was a pretty impressive move."

Zoe smiled coyly. She was so new to this and totally lacked social skills. The new Special made a mental note to work on that.

"Uh…yeah, I'm programmed for fighting. But…well, for now I'll think about the offer of joining." She looked around. "However, I think I may have to sort a few things out first."

Avery blinked and straightened up. "Oh, yeah, of course." He pulled out his baton. "You want a lift to the City? I could help you get settled and-" He looked at her back. "-Get you an identity disk."

Zoe gave him a soft, innocent smile. "I'd like that. Thank you."

…

Zoe shivered. It was dark…too dark. Impossible to even see her hand in front of her face. No light, except for the circuits on her body suit, which didn't give off more than a faint glow.

She'd only just got to the City but it was nothing like she'd thought…or what Avery told her.

After he dropped her off in the Special's District – where everyone else of her kind lived – he recommended she explored a little to get comfortable and took off.

He never warned her that there were some unfriendly Programs that inhabited the City. One moment she was walking down the streets, smiling, the next, someone roughly grabbed her and hit the back of her head hard.

She wasn't given the chance to even think about fighting back. It all happened too fast for her to comprehend. She was still new to all of this.

Then she wakes up to a dark room, tied up. It felt cold. She squeezed her eyes shut. This was not how she'd hoped to live her life. She didn't want to belong to anyone but herself.

She wanted to see light again.

Zoe couldn't help but flinch when the door opened and the silhouette of at least four blood lusted-looking men walked over to where she was.

What she learned painfully quickly was that these guys lived for other's pain. They were sadists.

Just…sick.

Zoe curled herself into a protective ball, willing herself to be somewhere other than here. She hated the torment. She wanted to choose death over this.

Quick, painless, blissful death.

Zoe squeezed her moist eyes shut. What brought her into this painful world?

After her captor left, she didn't move from her position. She hurt too much to move. Their disks inflicted so much damage that Zoe was amazed she hadn't derezzed yet.

They didn't leave anything unscathed.

Nothing.

All her limbs, her extremities, her back, the front of her torso, her face…everywhere.

Zoe kept silently asking herself, asking the darkness: Why? Why would those people want to do this? To her?

She started shaking and hiccupping sobs wracked her body. She didn't want to be here anymore. She wanted out.

Zoe stiffly started unraveling from her tight position and shakily stood up. The restraints she previously wore had been taken off a long time ago so it was easier for those…men to torture every inch of her.

They never bothered to put them back on.

Zoe lifted a trembling hand and grabbed for her disk. She was amazed they didn't take that away either. They really were stupid.

But then again, she'd managed to convince them (and herself for a while) that she was too afraid to try anything. She stumbled through the dark room to try and find the exit.

Before she could even take her fourth step, however, she heard chaos erupt from outside. A bomb went off and shook the walls. Zoe lost her balance and landed on her hands and knees. She didn't lose her disk…yet.

Then there was fighting. She recognized a few voices, most of them coming from the bloodlusty men that hurt her but she knew one…

Her eyes widened.

Someone else is here. To rescue her? She hoped…

Zoe wanted to open her mouth and shout for help but she couldn't. She'd screamed so much earlier that her vocals were damaged. She would be lucky to be able to make a coherent whisper now.

She got back up on her feet and activated her disk before looking for a door. It helped to follow the noise to its source. And as fast as the fighting started, it stopped. Everything went quiet.

Zoe then tripped on something that was lying on the ground. And her fall was embarrassingly noisy. She let out a weak gasp and then groaned in pain when she hit the ground yet again.

She was hurt so badly.

Zoe lifted her head quickly when there were audible footsteps and the muffled sound of talking from behind the door. She had no idea if it was the bad men that won the fight or the strangers so she squeezed her eyes shut in fear.

The door opened up and a little bit of light spilled into the room. It was so blinding that Zoe lifted her hand – the one clutching her disk tightly – to shade her eyes.

Zoe was breathing in ragged gasps and could barely keep herself under control. She was shaking so hard now. The 3 Programs in the other room were utterly silent and the closest one to her, the one that opened the door, approached her.

The Program, distinctly male, was holding his own disk. Zoe's eyes widened a fraction and she swung hers at him. His circuits were red – the color of one of her tormenters.

Zoe was injured though so her swing wasn't very good. He dodged easily enough and managed to grab an uninjured part of her wrist to pull her disk away. Then he pulled her closer.

Zoe twisted in his grip and did something that would've surprised herself on any other cycle…because she usually would despise doing it.

She bit him.

He let out a high pitched yelp that she didn't think a guy was capable of and backed away from her, shaking his injured hand and glancing back at his comrades.

"Avery, she bit me!" Zoe froze up at the name. Avery…

A quiet sigh from a Program that walked over to them carefully. "Could you really blame her?" Zoe slowly turned to the second Program and stared.

He stared back. Avery instantly recognized her through the hundreds of injuries riddling her body. "A-Are you okay?" He clutched at her shoulders that weren't too messed up. "Gosh, I didn't think you'd fall victim to gangsters so quickly. I'm sorry."

Zoe glanced over at the Program she'd bitten. There was another burly male standing next to him now. They both had white Primary circuits but the guy she attacked had red secondary circuits while his friend had yellow.

Avery grabbed Zoe's disk and reattached it to her before carefully picking her up and carrying her out of the building.

She'd lost consciousness after that but later woke up to a white ceiling, white walls, white everything. Zoe lifted her head and looked around. There were medics walking past her bed in various directions to go about their business. One of them actually turned and smiled at her before continuing with her job.

Zoe slowly sat up and examined herself. Whoever repaired her code was clearly an expert because there wasn't a flaw on her skin now. Like that nightmare of events never happened. But Zoe remembered perfectly. She knew she'd be mentally scarred for a long time from now.

She felt eyes on her and looked at the medic that smiled at her just earlier. The Program picked up Zoe's disk and looked at the code. "The Creator came by to visit Tron earlier." She spoke with a soft, light voice. "Just at that moment, you arrived." She glanced at Zoe. "You know, I don't think anyone's ever really attacked a Special like that before. It caused a real panic."

Nonetheless, the medic was still smiling. "Flynn himself insisted on healing your code the moment you were set down." She deactivated Zoe's disk and placed it on her back. "You were lucky. You were in critical condition when you were brought in. Now," Her smile got broader. "You're flawless." She paused. "Tron wants to visit you, by the way."

Zoe nodded and stood up. Her stronger, steadier feet carried her to the exit of the medical bay and after walking out the door, found herself face to face with Avery.

She blinked in surprise and took a step back. Avery seemed just as surprised from her sudden exit. "Uh," He started. "I've been waiting out here, for you." He seemed just as awkward as her now. "I'm supposed to take you to Tron."

Zoe nodded and followed him down the hall. She hadn't spoken a word.

Avery glanced at her. "I'm glad to know you're okay." He said quietly. "You…had everyone worried for a while. Not a lot of people thought you were going to survive. And-" He bit his lip. Avery clearly wasn't used to these kinds of conversations. "I'm sorry…for not warning you."

Zoe blinked and looked at him curiously. "I should've told you there were some…unfriendly Programs out there. I was really surprised to find out you'd gotten yourself stuck in a gang situation so quickly."

"They attacked me." Zoe said quietly. Her voice was different. It was raspy. _Screaming really did a number on it._ She thought bitterly.

Avery seemed to notice the difference too because he glanced at her again. Zoe immediately took a liking to him. She wasn't crushing on him but he was friendly. She liked how his gaze didn't hold any pity for her. But it was…admiration?

It was a possibility. Zoe was on death's door but somehow against all odds managed to survive the terrible ordeal. Now that her previous horrible experience was over with, she was proud of herself for being strong enough to make it through as well.

Avery opened a door and walked in after Zoe. Standing in a white suit with his arms folded was Tron. He wasn't alone though. There were the other two Programs from the warehouse she was kept in were sparring each other. She looked at the red-circuited Program and was relieved to see his hand was healed too.

Tron turned around to face Avery. He glanced at Zoe and noticed all her injuries were gone. He nodded to himself as if satisfied that she was better.

Zoe took a deep breath. "Tron," she murmured.

"You're feeling better." It was more of a statement than a question but Zoe replied anyway.

"Yes, Sir." Zoe had heard about the hero of the Grid in the short number of cycles she'd lived so far. She held a deep amount of respect for him.

Tron nodded again. "I understand you're Programmed for fighting."

Zoe nodded. "Yeah, but I need to work on it."

Tron unfolded his arms. "Well, I'm looking for more candidates for a team I'm putting together. From what I've come to notice, you're much stronger than I would have thought. I want to offer you a place on the team. From there, you'll be trained and given the chance to help maintain order not only here in the City but the entire Grid."

Zoe's eyes widened. When Avery first mentioned it to her, Zoe didn't think she'd even have a chance to join, that she would never be worthy. She still wasn't sure of herself but Tron clearly saw some potential.

It could be a great opportunity for her. And after the gang problem earlier, all she wants now is to make sure no other Program has to experience what she went through.

Zoe smiled. "Sir, that's all I want." She could've sworn she saw the corners of Avery's lips twitch as he suppressed a smile.

…

"Hi, I'm Alpha." A sandy-brown haired girl held out her hand to shake. She was clearly new; maybe several HiloCycles younger than Zoe. So far she's pretty nice.

Gorgeous too; with her big glowing green eyes and perfectly symmetrical slender face to that shiny aura she gives off with her uniquely colored circuits.

Zoe shook the hand offered to her. "Zoe." She had to wonder if Alpha was going to greet their neighbors the exact same way or only her. So far Zoe only knew she was the first one she greeted here.

She knew that because Flynn himself escorted her here and gave her a tour. She only just noticed Zoe right after he left. Zoe was guessing Alpha was looking for a friend.

_What could the harm be? It could turn out to be fun!_ Zoe, for some reason, felt like she wanted to cozy up with this Program because she just seemed to be a bundle of joy. She also wanted to figure out the riddle of this Program possibly a couple HiloCycles younger than her.

Zoe pointed to the elevator. "I'm going to meet up with some friends at the End of Line Club, want to go?"

The younger Program perked up immediately. "Really? You sure?" _Good golly, what has this young lady been through to lower her self-esteem?_

Zoe rolled her eyes playfully. "No, I was asking you if you wanted a virus." She said with her voice dripping sarcasm. "Of course you can come with! It'll be fun!" Zoe surprised herself there. She usually wasn't so bubbly like that.

Was it something on this younger Program rubbing off on her already? She shook her head as they walked to the elevator.

…

The last few MylaCycles was grueling work. Zoe was so young and new and out of shape. She got tired very quickly and relied on her endurance to keep going.

And according to Avery, she hadn't seen anything yet.

Once she got the hang of fighting techniques through private lessons with Tron and Avery, she finally got into sparring. Her first opponent happened to be the Program she bit, whose name she learned was Ken. The other Program was Con. And she became friends with them very quickly.

The first couple hundred rounds of sparring were epic failures and face plants on the ground but she still gradually progressed, studying her opponents before she struck and looking for openings. Her first victory in sparring was against Con and she was proud.

The next big thing that happened was another Special added to the group: Liz. The first thing Zoe noticed about this girl was that she was quite full of herself. Not in the spoiled bratty way, but she had a lot of high self-esteem and confidence.

Zoe actually liked that about Liz, though they were both at first in close competition in how many times they've won in sparring. Zoe, however, has been training with Tron a bit longer and was quickly escalating in skill and strength.

But if there was one thing Liz was better at doing than Zoe, it was piloting. She could fly jets, choppers, just about anything with high accuracy and skill. She was usually the driver whenever they went on missions together.

And several HiloCycles after Liz joined, Flynn wrote a search engine named Google, who became the big brain behind the missions Zoe and the rest of the team went on.

He's a nice guy and very considerate of others. Google gave enough proof of that when he didn't use big funky words that no one could understand. If a Program didn't understand what he was saying, it was most likely that they were stupid enough to not know the words. Usually Con, sadly.

And then there was the cycle when Reni and Ace walked in. Everything changed so much ever since. The team was stronger, there were more sparring opportunities, and everyone made new friends.

Zoe also noticed that she and Ace had some things in common: they were ambitious and enduring, both were determined to outdo everyone else, and they even had the same favorite drink.

It was sort of weird.

Zoe got jitters when she was around him; her stomach felt…upset, like she was standing in front of a large crowd but she wasn't.

Apparently Liz took that as a hint that she was starting to develop a crush but Zoe immediately rejected that theory, saying she probably drank energy too close to training time.

But was it a possibility? Zoe quickly shook her head. NO! It's not a smart idea to develop close ties or too personal feelings for another Program when they're working under Tron as one of his top agents. It's not right and anyone could use it against her.

Besides, it wasn't like she was letting herself develop anything towards Ace, of all Programs. He infuriated her sometimes to the point she'd like nothing more than to rip his head off! He'd laugh at things that weren't even funny (To her), he was too playful and not serious enough. To top it all off, he was cockier than Con…and that says a lot right there.

It's almost like he was pretending he was stupid even though Zoe knew for sure he wasn't…how the heck is that supposed to help him around the base if he's not working with everyone else the way he's supposed to?

And he's…messing with her? Zoe wouldn't put it as pointless flirting but he liked joking around her and challenging her every possible way he can.

He's on her last straw.

While she's busy worrying about that, unrest with the ISOs are growing and Clu was starting to act weird. Zoe could tell that Ace was noticing Clu's actions too but not going to Tron of Flynn to discuss it like she did.

Like Zoe thought to herself dozens of times before: he acts like such an idiot. And if she wasn't so focused on keeping her emotions in check, she probably would've noticed that Clu's speeches that were sparking his rise to power were starting to get to him.

She then didn't have to worry about trying not to like him…she HATED him…especially after Clu took over and she witnessed him lead several squads of black guard to execute ISOs in the streets of Beryllium.

Zoe then vowed she'd break his nose. After that she'll proceed to do other cruel things to him that she'd never once daydreamed about before. Then she'd kill him…with her bare hands.

She wanted to hold herself to that as much as possible, if not close. Ace deserved to have more than some sense knocked into him. He needed a good ass-kicking. And Zoe would be more than happy to give him the beating of a lifetime.

That is, after she tracks down her friends that went missing long ago during the Purge.

* * *

**Okay, I didn't feel like going into great detail because, seriously, I'm tired of writing graphic torture scenes for Zoe. I'm sure it's safe to say she's been through a lot and I seem to be abusing her character. Enough of that.  
Up next, we'll be looking into how Courtney's life started. It'll be a somewhat slow but interesting chapter, I think.**

**And to answer a reviewer's question from last chapter: I didn't make the cover myself. I own none of them...I wish ;P BUT, I will be drawing the cover art for the next series when I get started. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.**

**TRON LIVES!**


	3. Parties and Games

**Okay, I'm only saying this once for you guys, because you deserve it: I'm sorry. :( I know I've been MIA for about a month and I don't have any real excuse for that (although I could write an entire biography about my past month with over 300 pages, though I probably won't do that). But anyway, here's the long, long overdue chapter with Courtney's backstory back when she was timid. XD Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Parties and Games**

Courtney's POV

She closed her eyes.

They couldn't see her if she couldn't see them…right? Maybe if she just ignored them, they'd go away.

Someone snapped their fingers in front of her face and she rapidly blinked her eyelids back open. _So much for trying that…_ She slowly lifted her gaze up to the face of the person that bothered her.

Of course, she wasn't annoyed or angry. She felt more scared and nervous than anything else.

She had no idea what was going on or what they'd do with her.

Heck, she had no idea what any of them were talking about. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to know. She felt some of the looks she was being given by a few others weren't quite welcoming.

Maybe she was frustrating them somehow…

The person that snapped his fingers was watching her with an intense gaze. He looked curious.

"Hey Clu, Tron, what've we got here?" Someone that looked identical to the yellow-circuited program approached them. "I heard there was some trouble."

Trouble? Were they talking about her? Courtney couldn't hide her fears anymore and started to visibly shake.

"No, no trouble," A Program wearing a white suit piped up, which helped her relax a little. Not much, but a little. "Just a minor…bug in her system." He rubbed the back of his neck. "At least that's my best guess…"

"She's mostly unresponsive," The yellow-circuited guy said, "Maybe she was bitten by a Grid bug-"

"Grid bugs don't impact Programs to that extent," White-suited guy interrupted. "Perhaps a minor error…nothing that can't be fixed, right?" He turned to the new guy identical to the yellow-circuited Program.

"Whoa, slow down, you two." He turned to the guy in the white suit, "Considering all the…interesting events that have been going on lately, Tron, I wouldn't doubt what a Grid bug is capable of." He turned to the other guy, "And Clu, would you mind telling me what 'mostly unresponsive' means?"

She closed her eyes and pulled her knees to her chest. All she really knew was that she was found in a seemingly endless rocky terrain by these two guys and brought to…wherever she is now.

They tried talking to her but she didn't really know what they were trying to accomplish through that, so she ignored them and mentally closed herself off from her surroundings completely.

Now she was starting to wonder if that was a smart thing to do. But that's exactly what she was doing right now; tuning out their conversation and closing herself off.

She thought she heard the third guy saying something to her but she didn't pay any attention.

"…That's about how I'd describe 'mostly unresponsive' in her case," Clu muttered.

"'Mostly unresponsive'? She looks like she's in her own world right now." He turned to glance back at Tron and Clu. "Where'd you say you found her again?"

Tron shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "…The Middle of Nowhere." He mumbled.

"All the way out there?" He didn't wait for a response and turned back to face her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She was immediately jolted out of her meditation and faced the User with wide eyes, her breathing quickened as she waited for him to decide what to do with her.

"What's your name?" He asked her.

She said nothing.

"Will you tell me your Programming?"

She said nothing.

"Can you talk?"

She looked down and he made her face him again. "Okay, we're still at square one here." He thought for a moment, "You understand me, right?"

She hesitantly inclined her head.

He smiled at the small progress. "Do you have a name?"

She frowned and looked back down.

His smile fell when she shook her head.

"Let's pick one then," He smiled. "You very own designation,"

She blinked at him.

He sighed and tapped his chin. "Shay?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "Nah, never mind. You don't look like a Shay to me."

She didn't. She had a black suit on that covers most of her body but leaves her feet and arms completely bare. Her neckline is low but doesn't show off much cleavage, if any. She had caramel-colored hair, white primary circuits and yellow secondary ones that seemed to match her eyes.

"How about…Courtney?"

The corners of her lips went up immediately upon hearing the name. The User smiled back. "Courtney it is then." He tapped his index finger on a baton he was holding. "Moving on," He thought for a moment.

"Uh, Flynn?" Tron spoke up. "I'm afraid some of the riots in the ISO District need attending to."

Flynn frowned at the inconvenience but nodded at the Security Monitor. "Clu," He turned to his copy. "Could you find someone that will have the time to help out our new friend with speech and interaction? Thank you." He then turned and walked away.

Courtney blinked a few times before turning towards the yellow-circuited Program. Clu didn't talk but he did scrutinize her at some point on the way back to the City. She stared back with a blank, curious gaze that seemed to make him a little uncomfortable.

When they entered the City, Clu finally attempted to engage in a conversation. He told her about the rules and regulations of Tron City and when he asked her a question, he made sure she'd be able to answer through nodding or shaking her head.

She could vaguely see that the System Administrator was feeling a little proud to have at least given her a start in the basics in communication.

He left her in the care of two other girls, promising to check up on her later if he had time. After he left, the girls introduced themselves at Alpha and Liz, who were friendly enough and very patient when teaching her how to speak.

Well…Alpha was, at least, as was another named Zoe; Liz was more of the person who blew a circuit quickly but didn't take it out on anyone in the room. Plus she went out a lot to get drinks.

Courtney took small sips of energy after Alpha decided to take a break for now. They made very little progress so far but Zoe saw promise.

And true to his word, Clu visited at some point; though Courtney hadn't started speaking yet, she was more responsive with conversations that involved her.

It wasn't until a few cycles later that Courtney was able to talk a little bit. Her voice was quiet, timid, and she said the words so slowly, as if it took so much effort to not mess up the words she spoke.

And that was when Liz suggested they went to a party to celebrate. What better place was there to party other than the End of Line Club?

Courtney had no idea how Liz apparently became best pals with Zuse. Alpha and Zoe didn't have a clue either; Liz never told them that little story. Not that Courtney cared that much. She thought it best to leave that subject at peace.

She hated the way the boots pinched her feet when she wore them – Courtney preferred to go barefoot everywhere but no one understood why. Courtney tried to wiggle her toes during the long elevator ride up the tower but only resulted in further discomfort.

"I hate boots." She said bluntly in her usual quiet voice. It was the longest sentence she's spoken yet. However, it wasn't the first time she's said it.

Liz patted her shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, I know, sweetie. Just try and keep 'em on tonight. By the time we start partying, you'll probably forget you're even wearing shoes!" She gave the shy Special an encouraging grin.

It was unlikely. Every time she took a step, shifted her weight, wiggled her toes and whatnot, it reminded her of the discomfort in her feet. It never felt right.

Courtney sighed and pressed her lips together. No use arguing. Besides, she could make it through the night…hopefully. She could hear the blasting music before they even reached the top floor. When the doors opened, it was like she'd entered a different world.

Ever since she was found, she was kept in quiet, undisturbed environments. This wasn't something she was used to. As Courtney looked around the room, she saw lots of Programs mingling and dancing.

There were so many – at least forty or so. Too many pairs of eyes that would shift toward her and then look away again. Courtney backed up and her back hit Zoe. The agent put a comforting hand on her shoulder and guided her into the large space.

Liz, who, unlike Courtney, welcomed the chaos and strode right in. Just after taking five steps, however, they were stopped by the bouncers.

One of them eyed Liz. "State your business."

Liz turned her head toward the buff male and raised her eyebrows. "Um…to have fun?" She moved to step around him but the other barred her way.

"The room's nearly filled to capacity." The other informed her. "I'm afraid we'll have to ask you to come back later."

Liz narrowed her eyes. "You said **nearly** filled to capacity. There's still room; I can see it. Now let us through."

The first bouncer took a threatening step forward when Liz tried to move around them again. "Ma'am, if you refuse to leave, we'll have to use force."

Liz scowled. "I could put you and your pal on the floor in less than a Micro!" She stepped up to him but Alpha put a hand on her shoulder. Liz sighed and switched tactics and smiled sweetly. "Tell you what, we'll wait right here while you go and talk to Zuse for us. Tell him his old pal: Liz and a few of her friends are waiting for permission to enter."

They hesitated but the second guy huffed and walked away. The First one watched them as if he was expecting them to stab him in the back if he turned away.

The second bouncer returned quickly with Zuse right behind. "Liz, darling!" He stepped forward and hugged her. "It's been far too long! I see you've received my invite." He stepped back and glanced at her friends for the first time. "And who are these charming young ladies?" He asked.

Liz hooked her arm around Zoe's neck and pulled her forward. "This is my best pal, Zoe! She's saved me from getting a disk wedged in my back four times!"

"Five times." Zoe corrected.

Liz rolled her eyes and released her friend. "Whatever. That's Alpha. She's awesome; a real party animal." She turned to her last companion. "And this last one," She patted Courtney on the back. "This is Courtney. New to the Grid and still learning. A little shy – I'm trying to get her out of her comfort zone." She shrugged. "Ya know."

Zuse grinned. "I see. Well, come on in! Newcomers are always welcome here!" He turned to the bouncers. "Worry not, my friends, simple misunderstanding. Nothing more. Carry on."

The Club's owner turned around to face them again. "Now, Liz, I do believe you promised to make a good show this visit. But please, this time, try not to go too far this time when expressing your victories." He gave her an amused smile. "As for the rest of you, feel free to join on the dance floor, kick back on a sofa, or have a drink!"

Courtney heard some shouts and the smacking sound of hitting. Zuse frowned and turned his head. "I'm afraid I'll have to take care of this. So sorry. I'll be right back." He walked away to deal with the fighting while Liz started making a beeline for the bar.

Zoe and Alpha decided to lounge back elsewhere. After a few Nanos of debating with herself, Courtney decided to tag along with Liz to see what she was up to.

"Shaddix!" Liz leaned over the counter to give the bartender a big kiss on the cheek. "How long has it been? A few HiloCycles at least?" She clambered up onto the counter and started shouting challenges to drinking contests. "If anyone thinks they can beat me before getting an overload, feel free to step up!"

A big, tough-looking guy took a seat on a stool and smirked at Liz. He looked pretty sober, and the spunky young female took that as a challenge. "You wanna go?" She asked with a wide smirk.

He flashed a wicked grin. "Alright then."

Liz took a seat next to him and Shaddix got to work. Courtney plopped down on a stool next to Liz and watched as they took turns to emptying glasses.

First there were six rounds consumed, then thirteen. By then, the male Program was starting to look drunk while Liz looked like she hadn't even started yet.

By the time they reached twenty one shots, he collapsed out of the stool and Liz blinked down at him. "Best two out of three?" She offered, and the bystanders started chuckling.

Yeah, that guy didn't have a chance of recovering until at least a few millicycles from now. Liz spun around in her stool to grin at Courtney, not looking very drunk at all. A Program had to wonder where she was putting all that stuff.

"So," Liz rested her cheek on her fist. "You wanna have a round?"

"No." Courtney said quickly.

Liz giggled. "Okay then." She turned to Shaddix and requested two drinks that didn't contain alcohol. As they sipped the energy, Liz nudged Courtney with her elbow. "Hey, that guy over there is making eyes at you." She teased.

Courtney turned to look where Liz was gesturing and sure enough, a guy was watching her from afar with an intense expression. He almost looked like he had a bit too much to drink.

"You should talk to him." Liz suggested. "It would help with your speech **and** it's a brand new experience. You'd make a new friend!"

That guy over there looked like he wanted to own her or something. Courtney felt a chill go down her spine. Maybe Liz could handle her alcohol, but that didn't mean she was immune to the effects. Talking to a Program like that was dangerous, and Liz was clearly unable to see that at the moment.

"No, I'm better off not talking to him." She said quietly and paused.

Did she just say that?

Liz seemed to notice too and grinned. "Well, well, well, look who's finally gotten the hang of talking!" She cheered. "Took you long enough. Let's drink to it!" She ordered a refill for both of them and Courtney quickly downed her second glass.

"I'm…going to Zoe and Alpha." She said loud enough for Liz to hear and slid off her stool. Courtney squeezed through the crowd of dancing Programs and kept her sights on her friends. She bumped into a few Programs along the way and politely pushed past them, muttering an apology.

Alpha and Zoe seemed to be discussing something important, judging from the expressions on their faces. Alpha looked up at Courtney and walked over. "You alright?" She asked.

Courtney blinked a few times as she processed the question. No, she didn't feel good. She was starting to feel uncomfortable in this club. It turns out that parties aren't really her thing.

She felt several pairs of eyes on her. Zoe joined Alpha's side and said something that Courtney didn't hear. She turned around to see that same guy staring at her. A wave of paranoia struck her and she backed up into her friends. The room started spinning and she placed her hand on her forehead.

A hand clamped down on her shoulder and pulled her towards the elevator and Courtney didn't resist. As soon as they got outside, Courtney gathered her wits and looked up. Alpha was staring at her with a hint of concern but also curiosity.

"Looks like parties are a little intense for you, aren't they?" She asked.

Courtney nodded, her head still resting on her hand. "Yeah, you could put it like that." She said dryly. "I don't like it there."

"Can't blame you." Alpha replied. "Come on, let's get you home. Zoe agreed to stay behind so Liz doesn't get into too much trouble this time; you know how she can get."

"That-that guy back there…" She started. "He gave me the creeps."

Alpha slipped an arm around her shoulders and guided her down the street. "Clubs are usually full of intoxicated Programs. That's something helpful you'll want to keep in mind from now on." She shrugged. "Most Programs are friendly, but there are a few…" She trailed off and shook her head. "Never mind. We can discuss this sort of thing later."

They were silent for a while as they kept walking and getting closer to the Specials' District – the place they called home. "What were you and Zoe talking about?" Courtney asked.

Alpha stiffened but quickly relaxed. She casually shrugged and smiled coyly. "Well, Zoe was asking me how I felt about having a boyfriend."

Courtney wasn't convinced with her act but didn't say anything against her. Perhaps they truly did have that discussion at a different time and she didn't know about it. "And?" She pressed on.

"I laughed at her." Alpha shrugged. "I mean, I'm not really concerned about that kind of stuff right now." She glanced at Courtney. "Could you see me doing that? Dating a guy and doing whatever couples do?"

Courtney pursed her lips. "That kind of thing could happen to anyone." She replied quietly.

"I bet you could find a guy." Alpha mused. "It's not impossible. You're cute; it would take a blind person not to see that."

"But having to deal with possible heartbreak-" Courtney shook her head. "I don't like taking gambles like that. I avoid them."

Alpha shrugged. "Well, your odds of finding a boyfriend are fair, I'm just saying…"

"You might get one too in the near future." Courtney pointed out.

Alpha chuckled. "True, true. But only time will tell, won't it?"

They entered their apartment building and stepped into the elevator. Courtney pressed their floor number and the doors closed. Neither of them spoke to each other for the rest of the night.

They exited the elevator and walked down the hallway to their own rooms. Courtney shut her bedroom door behind her with a sigh and collapsed on her bed. She dreamt of nothing that night.

…

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

Courtney jerked upright, dizzy from just waking up.

"Rise and shine, princess!" Liz's loud voice sounded muffled from behind the door. "Get up or I'll come in and get you up, myself. We're going out to have some fun!"

Courtney blinked a few times and got to her feet, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes with the heel of her hand. She opened the door and looked at Liz, who was grinning with ecstasy.

"What? Why?" Courtney asked.

Liz put her hands on her hips. "Because I think it'll be fun for everyone. Now come on! Zoe and Alpha are already waiting outside!" She grabbed Courtney's arm with one hand, shut the door behind them with the other, and then quickly escorted her to the elevator.

"Wow that was fast." Zoe complimented. "Did you drag Courtney out of bed again? You know you shouldn't be rough with her." She scolded her friend.

"Who? Me?" Liz looked at Zoe innocently. "What gave you that thought?" She rolled her eyes. "But you shouldn't worry; Courtney can handle anything that comes at her, am I right?" Liz elbowed a silent Courtney playfully. "By the way, where's Alpha?"

Zoe jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "She's already at the park. We figured you guys would take a while but," She shrugged. "Guess we're not right about everything."

"Do you mean 'we' or just you?" Liz asked.

"Are you looking to receive battle scars anytime soon?" Zoe replied darkly.

"Ouch!" Liz mocked a pained look. "Someone's touchy."

"I'll meet you guys at the field." Courtney mumbled, already tired of their verbal quarrel. Alpha was already wearing protective gear when Courtney greeted her. "Um…what's that for?"

Alpha grinned sheepishly. "It was Liz's idea to go out for a few rounds of disk games. She also mentioned it might be good for your fitness." She shrugged. "Sometimes I think that girl doesn't have a level head."

It was true, the way Courtney saw it. As Alpha helped her with the armor, she thought about her time spent hanging out with Liz. That Program didn't know what the words 'impossible' or 'limits' meant. She was always going places, causing mischief and doing all sorts of illogical and crazy acts just to prove that she can, if it's not just for fun.

Those thoughts weren't comforting at all for Courtney, especially knowing that these 'disk games' were all Liz's idea. By the time her armor was fitted to her figure, Zoe and Liz showed up, elbowing each other and giggling the entire way. Well, most of the giggling actually came from Liz.

The two rezzed up their armor with big grins. "Okay," Liz began, "How about…Courtney versus Alpha and I'll go against Zoe for the first couple rounds."

"You're a goner, Liz." Zoe shouted at her opponent. "You know I'm better,"

"Yeah, I just have too much pride for myself to be able to admit such things." Liz smirked. "You won't get any such statement from me as long as I'm alive!"

"Bring it on!" Zoe goaded.

The two friends clashed disks and things only got more intense from there. Alpha turned to Courtney. "You understand the basics, right?" Courtney nodded. Stay within the force field and don't activate your disk. The point of the game was to 'survive' and beat your opponent. Simple enough.

Of course, just because the task was simple didn't mean it would be easy. Alpha was more capable of fighting than she let on and beat Courtney every single time. Alpha just seemed so selfless and polite all the time that she never showed any aggressiveness in her speech or stances like Liz and Zoe did.

Their game was a little frustrating but also funny; she always got so close before she was put down, almost like torture. Every time Courtney lost, Alpha would help her back up, tell her whatever she did wrong with fighting, then compliment her endurance and they'd continue.

After a while, Liz called for a switch so it was Courtney against Zoe. Liz was also probably frustrated of constantly losing to Zoe that she wanted to fight someone she could actually beat.

It was pretty low of Liz to do that; and Courtney knew everyone was thinking it. Doesn't mean anyone would say anything. Besides, it was very petty; they were just playing a friendly game.

Zoe knew Courtney was unfamiliar with fighting in this type of game so she was merciful and went easy on her. Of course, like Liz, Zoe was also very competitive so that meant she wouldn't actually let Courtney win, either. So mean.

But when they switched opponents again, Courtney went against Liz. It was a little easier than going against Zoe this time. And maybe after several dozen rounds, she managed to win her first round. Liz, who was always up front about her stubborn pride, claimed that she only 'let her win' because it was sad to see her lose so much.

It probably would've offended any Program more sensitive than Courtney but she just laughed and brushed it off. It didn't matter to her if Liz went easy on her or not; she still won the round.

"Alright, alright, whatever." Liz got into her stance with her disk at ready. "I want a rematch."

* * *

**Next chapter's a surprise...only 1 of my friends know of the plot though. (Psst. Friend I told next chapter's plot to who I will keep anonymous, don't give away the surprise ;P) But anyway, I PROMISE to post this one on time next Tuesday. I'll see you guys next time.  
TRON LIVES!**


	4. Prank War!

**It's certainly not Tron Tuesday...'cause I was late again. :( I have good reason though, it's private, but it's a good reason. Oh, and I also know that we're far from April Fool's Day, but the original plan was to make this chapter a flashback in the actual trilogy. Unfortunately, I never got around to that so I'm going down to this. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Prank War!**

Alpha's POV

She went through her usual routine in the cycle's work after she woke up: tidy up anything in her room that required it, drink some energy, go to work (no Program could be lazy), hang out with her friends, drink more energy, go to a party or play games, then go to bed.

The start of this particular cycle felt…different though. It, of course, was different. Everyone had the whole cycle off today because Flynn insisted on celebrating some sort of holiday in the User world. Of course, no one was actually required to follow the actual customs, but they did have the opportunity to have some fun.

Though, in the minds of some of her friends, fun had different definitions. Alpha figured she'd have to be cautious this particular cycle. Knowing Liz, Ace, and Jude, she could bet that they'd be up to no good.

She opened her door and peeked out, looking side to side. The coast was clear. She took a step forward-

And tripped over a wire. Alpha landed in a clumsy heap just before a bucket of water tipped and dumped its contents over her. She grumbled and stood up as Liz's hiccupping laughter echoed throughout the building.

Alpha narrowed her eyes and wrung out her hair. _This means war._

…

Zoe's POV

She figured before having fun this cycle, she'd check in at the base to see if any assistance. She opened the door to Tron's headquarters and her eyes widened. She ducked just in time to avoid pain balls coming her way.

Zoe made her way further into the building, constantly looking over her shoulder. There was no doubt in her mind that either Ace or Liz was behind this. They were true pranksters that still had the security clearance to commit such childish acts.

Just before Zoe could make it to the door that led to their section of the headquarters, the gravity in the hallway reversed and she was flung to the ceiling. Her back made contacts with the smooth white surface and gritted her teeth when she was suddenly drenched in paint.

Ohhhh…they were so dead to her.

…

Tron's POV

User holiday or not, he still had work to do. Taking a whole cycle off of work for the majority of the population would no doubt be chaotic and someone had to keep things in line.

Tron opened the door to exit his office and paused, blinking at the sight in confusion. The entire floor was upside down! He rubbed his eyes and looked again to see if that was real. Of course it was.

He sighed. "Of all cycles to do this and it has to be this one." He muttered irritably. Tron had enough to deal with and this was just an annoying inconvenience. He reached into one of the drawers in his office for a data pad and paused.

He pulled out the thin, hard matter that was shaped like a tablet…but wasn't. It was a piece of flat, rectangular metal with writing on the front such as: 'Boring things-to-do list', 'Programs to tickle', and 'Ideas on how to kill Agents for setting up this ridiculous prank'.

True, he was going to kill them…after he finds his **real** data pad. But as Tron searched the whole building, he only found the same rectangular pieces of matter.

As he started recoding the floor (using old fashion methods) to be right side up again, he thought about how he was going to discipline whoever was responsible for this.

He could hide the twitching in the corner of his lips. Next cycle was going to be a pain for his agents.

"Tron!" The Security Program glanced up, his eyes widened a fraction, and he recoiled in shock. Zoe was covered head to toe in paint. "H-Have you seen anyone in the building earlier this cycle?" Clearly he wasn't the only one that was annoyed.

Tron shook his head. "I wish," He muttered. "But whoever's responsible for these…these pranksters are going to have a hard time in the next few cycles."

"Hopefully," Zoe replied darkly as she turned around and left the building. Tron shook his head slowly and sighed. _Young Programs,_ He thought. _Always so irresponsible…_

…

Liz's POV

She ducked behind a dark corner and waited for Jude to fall into her trap. Earlier this cycle, she and Ace sought out each other and agreed to an alliance for a prank war. So far it's been a riot. She booby-trapped Alpha and Courtney's doors while Ace laid out a few surprises at Tron's headquarters.

Honestly, Liz would be a little scared to face Tron's wrath next cycle. Who knew what he'd have in mind to discipline her and Ace this time? They were always the usual suspects…although there was never really a time when either of them was innocent. They were always out to get others just because it was fun. And they were always caught.

Jude entered Liz's field of vision as she casually exited the building. Liz grinned with ecstasy. This little trick took forever to set up; it required so much planning and calculations that Liz had to wonder if it was all worth it. Hopefully it was.

Jude slipped on the path and Liz smirked as the poor Program landed on her back. Most of her weight where she was laying applied force to the whoopee cushion beneath her. Liz erupted with laughter. "Oh, oh man. You should look at yourself right now!" She wiped her eyes.

Jude's face turned bright red. "That wasn't fair! I didn't even see the cushion; it's like…the exact same color as the sidewalk!"

That's the point. Jude stood up and glared at the Special. "I'm gonna get you!" She gave chase to Liz but didn't make it far. Jude ran face-first into some sort of clear, see-through plastic. There was some sort of disgusting goop smeared on the side that her face touched.

Jude wiped the mess off of her with a growl while Liz ran off with that infamous giggle.

…

Courtney's POV

Courtney sat up and yawned. After a lot of tossing and turning last night, she finally fell asleep. It was a pleasant rest too. She rubbed her eyes and blinked them open. Her vision was a little blurry from just waking up but it cleared very quickly.

When she could finally see better, she pulled her bed sheets over her head and screamed at the top of her lungs in fright. Courtney braced herself for attacks from the little insect-like buggers but it never happened.

Courtney hesitantly peeked out of the sheets and stared at the little statues of fake Grid Bugs that infested her room. It was just a prank. She sighed and grumbled profanities, cursing whoever sabotaged her room so she'd wake up to a jump scare.

One by one, she started deleting the fake Grid Bugs, not feeling eager to be accidentally scared by them again. Courtney had a pretty good idea of who would pull something like this.

And she'd get them back in her own way.

She stood up and walked towards her door. Opened it. She accidentally pulled a string and activated a fan that suddenly blew glitter all over her body.

Game on.

…

Ace's POV

He chuckled wickedly when he secured the string. Liz said she'd take care of the pranks with Alpha and Courtney, but he wanted to set up the Grid Bug one for her. A special little gift from himself to her.

Ace hoped she enjoyed it.

It was such a privilege to be pranked by him. He took the time to make complicated and elaborate traps for his victims with the exception of Courtney – hers was very quick and simple.

Ace finished setting up the trap for his final victim – Liz. This is the part where he would betray her in order to become the lone prankster. But he also wasn't stupid. Ace never underestimated Liz to the point of not believing she wouldn't try to betray him first.

However, Ace wanted so badly to be the one privileged of getting to prank the ultimate target. The consequences on any other cycle would be horrific but this was a special one. This was a free shot that anyone would be able to get away with.

There was no way anyone like Ace or Liz would pass up such an opportunity like that.

A mischievous grin adorned Ace's face as he backed away from the trip wire – which Liz hopefully wouldn't avoid – and quickly made his way back to his bedroom so he could gather the materials he needed for his last prank victim.

He opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks. His room was completely redecorated…

With him.

There were pictures of Ace scattered all over the floor and covering every millimeter of the ceiling, walls, desk, and bed. Behind him, he could hear a high-pitched yelp coming from Liz, along with the sound of spraying water. He bent his head and sighed with a content smile.

No one could see him and as far as he could tell, no one was looking at him either. Ace grabbed what he needed and left his room as if he didn't even see the unusual surprise hidden inside.

…

Ace pressed himself against the wall and peeked around the corner. All clear. He stayed in the shadows while he sprinted down the hallway towards his destination.

He snuck into the final victim's room and closed the door behind him. Ace turned around and smirked. Good. Still asleep. He picked up a nearby side-table and set it down on top of the victim, the legs standing sturdy around the upper body but not touching in any way.

Reaching into his pocket, Ace pulled out a blow horn he'd taken from Flynn during his last visit – the Creator was planning on using it for his own purpose but wouldn't get the chance. Plus there was his own prank he'd fall for at a later time this cycle.

Ace blew the horn very close to the sleeping Program's ear but standing out of reach. Clu bolted upright and his forehead collided with the underside of the table hovering over him.

The System Administrator muttered colorful Grid curses and lay back down, clutching his now-aching forehead. Ace laughed maniacally and quickly slipped back outside, still holding the blow horn.

At a later time, he attached it to the bottom of a chair that Flynn sometimes sat in when Clu was discussing plans with him. It wasn't high priority to prank the Creator though – he went far enough to prank Clu. If Flynn didn't fall for the air horn chair thing, it wouldn't matter.

Following through with the last step of the plan – escape to his room and stay there until next cycle. It sounded cowardly, but it was necessary if he didn't want to be chased around until bedtime.

Unfortunately, before he could get to the elevator, he bumped into a soaking wet Liz. A very angry soaking wet Liz. However, she didn't make a move to attack him like he expected.

"Tron called for an emergency meeting." She said bluntly.

Without a word, Ace followed her to headquarters. When they got there, they greeted Zoe, Con, Ken, and the rest of the agents. And then there was Tron standing there with his arms folded and his face emotionless. Zoe was standing next to him in a similar fashion.

Ace went into a straight line formation with everyone – Avery standing to his left, and Reni to his right. Zoe was looking at him with a not-very-happy expression.

Tron slowly started pacing up and down the line while Zoe remained stationary in front of everyone, scolding each and every one of the agents. Tron caught Ace's eyes and shook his head, showing his disappointment. "All of you. Each and every one of you in this line has been involved in causing trouble in this City."

"The Programs on the Grid look up to each and every one of you. You're supposed to set good examples to be followed." He gestured for Zoe to step forward. "However, if you insist on participating on something like this…"

Zoe picked up a bucket of water that was sitting against the wall and drenched everyone with it. Then Tron pulled out a remote and pushed a button. Tons of fluffy white powder rained down onto the Programs and made them look like Grid-snowmen.

Zoe smirked at Ace and high-fived her superior. "We win." She said smugly.

Tron pointed to the sparring ring. "Happy April Fool's Day. Now get training."

* * *

**It's nearly impossible to make Tron not awesome now and again. Honestly, no one could be a better prankster than the Hero of the Grid, I think (even though the poor Monitor takes everything so seriously). Anyway, this is something I've been dying to write and I have. XD  
Thank you very much, guys. And up next, we're going to pay a visit to the ISO District to get to know the early lives of specific OC's.**

**TRON LIVES! Toodles.**


	5. Isomorphic Algorithms

**Happy Tron Tuesday, Programs! This is just a little something in the honor of the ISOs before things got more difficult for them. ;)  
I enjoyed writing this because most of my chapters usually had fights and bad guys and whatnot but this is more like a backstory for Evelyn and her friends. Hope you guys like it!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Isomorphic Algorithms**

Evelyn's POV

"Hey, Evie!" The ISO looked up from her artwork and grinned.

"Dallas, I thought you weren't coming!" She wrapped her arms around her friend. "How're things in Arjia?"

Dallas shrugged. "Satisfying, as usual. Anything new here in Tron City?"

Evelyn's smile faltered and she set down her art supplies. "Well, lots of riots but I'm sure you don't need me to inform you about those."

Dallas frowned. "How bad?"

"Well, they're definitely not getting better." Evelyn sighed. "I don't get what's so bad about us! What are the Basics' Problems?"

"Grid Bugs." Dallas replied bluntly. "Oh, and we're not organized with specific Programmings. I can tell that it's stressing Clu out. I'm surprised his patience with us has remained intact for so long."

Evelyn looked at Dallas with a dull expression. "You know, we get bitten by Grid Bugs too. The Basics know that; do we really have to be blamed for everything bad that happens? I certainly don't see any hostility directed at the Specials!"

Dallas patted Evelyn's shoulder. "You know, these discussions get old after a while." She reminded her friend. "We can do better in life. Now come on, I want to surprise Cassandra and Valor!"

That's right, Dallas told them she wouldn't be able to visit but she did anyway. They'll be so excited. Evelyn pulled out her baton and waved it teasingly in Dallas's face. "Race you there!" She shouted and took off.

Dallas stuck out her tongue and followed. "No fair! You had a head start!"

"Better catch up if you wanna beat me!" Evelyn goaded, causing her friend to narrow her eyes.

"Sometimes you annoy me." She mumbled.

Evelyn grinned. "Why, thank you! It's so nice to be hanging out together."

Dallas couldn't help but smile at that. "Yeah, yeah."

…

Evelyn sat by Valor and watched at Dallas and Cassie played an extremely intense game of tic tac toe. Since Flynn introduced the game to the Programs, it's become a popular game of strategy.

Unfortunately, Cassie didn't have her head screwed on straight at the moment. She frowned at the board and drew a circle in the upper right corner, when she should've done so in the middle square at the bottom row.

Dallas drew an X in that spot when it was her turn and drew a diagonal line down the middle where she got three of them in a row.

Cassie gasped loudly. "You tricked me!" She accused, causing Valor and Evelyn to laugh. It was no trickery; Cassie was the only one at fault for losing. "I demand to have another round!" She said dramatically.

"Okay, okay, don't get your circuits in a twist." Dallas said lightly. "I've got plenty of time before I need to head back to Arjia."

"It's never enough though." Valor complained. "Come live with us! Tron City's a good place to live too."

Dallas frowned. "I can't just leave my job. It's hard to adjust when you move. You know that because otherwise you would've moved to Arjia, yourself!"

"Let's not dwell on this conversation." Cassie said, examining her nails. "Why don't we have some real fun, say…" She smirked. "Another round of tic tac toe?"

"You're on!" Evelyn said before Dallas could say anything.

She glanced at Valor. "You wanna have a go?"

Valor shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

The group of ISOs played about 17 rounds within the next PectroCycle, taking each game very seriously until it got a little boring. "Anyone up for disk games?" Valor offered. "You know how much I wanna beat Dallas's winning streak!"

"You got it!" Dallas jumped to her feet and hightailed it to the park. They helped each other activate their armor while they waited for their turn in the field. Dallas glanced at the Programs in front of them and shrugged. "Not a long wait this time." She grinned. "So who wants to fight me first?"

"Me! Valor said at the same time as Evelyn. They settled it over rock, paper, scissors and Evelyn won.

"You're doomed!" Evelyn said dramatically. "I've been practicing!" She emphasized her words by doing a bunch of kicks and punches in the air. She jumped up and spun in the air – it was a pretty good move, and would've been perfect if she hadn't landed on top of a Program in front of them in line.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Evelyn stood up and looked at the victim of her landing.

The male Program was obviously not in a good mood and pushed away her offer to help him up. "Just be careful next time." He said bluntly. "Someone could've gotten hurt."

"You know, you could settle issues over a disk war, instead." Dallas piped up, "There's really no need to get touchy."

The guy seemed to actually consider it. "Alright, we'll settle it over one round."

When it was his turn, he activated his armor and stood on one end of the ring while Evelyn walked to the place opposite of him.

"**Players 1 and 2, please prepare for Disk battle."**

When it started, the two Programs rushed each other and were doing all these fancy flips and techniques to throw their disks and dodge the other Program's attacks.

Evelyn ducked her head as his disk flew toward her and passed overhead safely. She rolled out of the way when it ricocheted off the force field behind her and back to its owner. She tossed her disk and he did a fancy pencil spin in mid-air.

The ISOs couldn't help but gawk. They were "okay" combatants but not experts. This guy was an experienced fighter.

He somehow got up close to Evelyn during their disk battle and caught her disk so he could hold both at her neck. Then he tossed them in different directions and they bounced off the wall and rammed into Evelyn so fast that she didn't see it coming.

"**Player 2 defeated. Game over. Do you wish to play again?"** The voice echoed over the field.

The male Program stood over Evelyn and handed her back her disk while helping her up. "Not bad." He complimented. "But I wouldn't recommend showing off like I was until you work a little bit on your speed." He paused. "You should also keep tension in your stomach and your weight on the balls of your feet. Always stay moving and never go still."

"Thanks. I'm Evelyn." She held out her hand.

"I'm Avery." He rubbed his chin. "You know, I've got some time off next cycle. If you feel up to it, we can all meet back here and I can teach you a thing or two."

"We really could use the lessons." Evelyn admitted. "Some of us have a habit of getting into trouble."

"So I see." Avery was no longer looking at Evelyn. She followed his gaze to see Valor backing away from an angry Program. Suddenly, the hostile drew his disk to threaten her ISO friend.

"Hey!" Avery drew his disk and approached the two Programs. "Stand down or I'll have to use force." Valor backed up and held up his hands to claim innocence.

The other reluctantly docked his disk. "You're dead, ISO!" He threatened. "Wait 'till I get my hands on you."

"This isn't necessary." Avery said firmly as he pulled the Program aside for a talk.

"You know what I think?" Cassie asked.

"What?" Both Evelyn and Dallas asked.

"I think Avery is a security Program." Cassie whispered.

"I think you're right." Dallas replied.

Evelyn shrugged. "That's cool. All the more obvious of why he beat me."

"Well, you are an easy person to beat." Dallas said smugly.

"I'll kick your butt."

"You wanna have a go?"

"Certainly!"

"Let's do it!"

In less than 5 Micros, Dallas beat Evelyn…again.

"Don't feel bad." Dallas elbowed her friend. "You've really improved since our last game."

"Whatever," Evelyn rolled her eyes. "What does it matter, anyway? I know I'm never going to have the skill of a security Program."

"You can still learn from one, though." Dallas pointed out. "Take advantage of it. Not many Programs can learn from a security Program, let alone befriend one. Just try to stay out of trouble when I'm gone, okay?"

"Okay…" Evelyn said dully.

"Dallas," Cassie said sadly. "Just stay. We'll become inseparable."

The ISO stared at her friend. "Don't be so dramatic about it. I'll be back in a couple of MylaCycles. It's not a big deal." She looked up and saw an annoyed Avery heading back toward them. Behind him, the hostile Program was struggling against handcuffs and several officers pulling toward a truck. "And you've got Avery, isn't that right?"

Avery looked up and nodded absently. "Have a safe trip." He said, "And be careful, the Basics are getting awfully violent."

"Don't worry, I can beat Evelyn in a fight so I'm sure I could handle a gang."

Avery rolled his eyes. "Let's hope you won't have to."

Dallas rezzed her lightcycle and departed her friends.

Cassie glanced around. "Where's Valor?" She asked.

Avery sighed. "He said he was going to have a couple shots and the End of Line Club."

"Without me?!" Cassie rushed off without warning. Evelyn and Avery were alone.

"So, how do I increase my speed?" Evelyn asked.

Avery rubbed his chin, apparently it was a habit of his. "Uhh…let's test your agility – they're similar techniques. It's very simple."

…

Aden's POV

"Do you always have to be negative?" Sylvie raised an eyebrow at Aden. "You know, not all Basics are out to get us. I don't understand why you don't see that. Just because you fell victim to a riot against our kind doesn't give you the right to go against every Basic you see. They're just a little…uncomfortable. They need more time to adjust and adapt to the changes."

"I don't think all Programs like change." Aden rubbed his forehead. "Mark my words: this isn't coincidence. Someone is working behind these riots and feeding the Basics false information."

Kym, who'd been sitting quietly throughout the conversation, raised an eyebrow. "I never looked at it like that before." He admitted. "It would make sense. Someone watching the ISOs and taking notes about whatever inconvenience occurs. I'd buy the info."

Sylvie bit her lip. "We need real proof…and the identity of whoever's behind it."

"I have a suspicion," Aden raised his hand. "But it sounds absurd," He admitted.

"Can't be more absurd than if I grew wings." Kym said lightly.

Aden sighed. "Clu could be behind it."

"Uhh…scratch that. Growing wings sounds much more realistic." Kym shook his head. "Did you hit your head too hard during that riot back there?"

Ace once again touched his forehead where a Basic slammed it into the ground. He was lucky enough not to get anything worse. "It makes sense though." He insisted. "When we first came into existence, Clu gave us the cold shoulder and pointed out that we attract Grid Bugs. That's something."

"That's where it stops." Sylvie crossed her arms. "If I was Flynn, I wouldn't believe it."

"But isn't it odd how Clu suddenly changes character and acts all sweet around us suddenly, even though it all felt wrong? You told me yourself, Sylvie. You said the aura of the space felt negative."

"I said there was a palpable tension in the atmosphere." Sylvie said. "…But it did feel negative." She said quietly.

Aden sat down and crossed his legs. "Just keep your eyes peeled. Pay special attention to Clu." He grabbed a glass of energy and took a sip. "He's the center of my suspicion; I just need more evidence. And time to think about it."

"I don't think we have time." Kym said in a tense voice. "I see mobs – lots of mobs – heading our way. And I don't think they look very happy."

* * *

**Okay, this is going to be the last chance for people to submit ideas for events before the ISO War. Otherwise I'm going to continue with what I have planned out. Remember guys, I don't see every error I make so if there are anything unexplained or loose ends, I'm going to need you to point them out. Reviews are always appreciated and I'll see you next time.**

**TRON LIVES!**


	6. ISO War (Jude's Story)

**Happy Tron Tuesday, Programs! I barely got this one up. I had a busy day - that includes my first time trying Caribou Coffee (I know firsthand that it's the kind of sugary crap that no one should addict themselves to). But anyway, this is something that I was really excited to write. I'm surprised no one asked me to go more into detail about Jude's experience in the ISO War. It was something I could go crazy on! :P**

* * *

**Chapter 6 – ISO War [Jude's Story]**

Jude's POV

She opened her eyes and sat up quickly. The sound of bombings and explosions filled her ears. Jude jumped out of bed and into the hallway. She got into the elevator and down to the main floor.

Stepping outside, Jude gaped at the sight. The ISO Districts were under attack! Looking toward the building Alpha and her friends stayed in, she could see something going on through the windows.

Jude turned away and pulled out her baton. She wasn't going to wait for backup if hundreds of lives were at stake. She knew it was stupid to play as a hero but she wasn't in it for attention. She'd always been compassionate.

There were explosions all around her, setting fire to whatever was left of anything destroyed. It was horrifying. Jude raised her arms to protect herself better and squinted in the smoke as she fought her way into a half-destroyed building. The elevators were out of order so Jude used the stairs – taking two at a time on her way up.

As Jude got closer, she could hear the terrified sobs of trapped ISOs. She tried to push open a door that leads out of the stairwell but it was stuck. That explains a lot.

Jude took out her disk and severed the hinges on the door, stepping out of the way when it dropped. There was more rubble in the doorway.

Frustrated, Jude pulled code out of the air to make a grenade. It was difficult to do so, but she was one of the few Programs that could do so. It was easier for her to manipulate the Grid, unlike most of the Programs.

Jude planted the light grenade and took cover when the explosion cleared away most of the rubble. She used her disk to get past the rest and past that-

There were lots of ISOs standing before her, frozen with fear. "What are you waiting for?!" Jude asked. "Get out, now!"

She helped to support some of the injured as they sprinted down the stairs together. When they got outside, Jude sucked in the fresh air and glanced around. If all the buildings were like this…

Jude sighed and roughly massaged her eyes. The smoke stung them. Exhaling, Jude rezzed her mask – it made things a little easier.

Then she went into another building. A taller one. It was more difficult due to the excessive damage it took – much worse compared to the first building. But Jude kept going.

She got to the second floor and found many ISOs shaking to their cores within the smoky room. "Go! Get out!" She shouted. "The building's taken excessive dam-"

Before she could finish, the floor suddenly gave way beneath the ISOs. They all screamed as they fell. Jude rushed as close to the hole as possible and was washed with relief when she found no one was seriously injured from the abrupt fall.

She decided to move on and go higher. She heard lots of voices behind a bunch of elevator doors, which made Jude pause for a moment. _Who in their right mind would take the elevator when their building was being fired upon?_

Jude pulled out her disk and sliced between the doors. Someone else was helping her from the other side with prying it open. The doors separated a few centimeters, then several more, and then a meter.

She sidestepped out of the way as seven Programs – including the guy that helped her open the door – got out of the elevator as fast as they possibly could. A few of them thanked her over their shoulders as they ran down the stairs of the building.

Jude knew it was stupid, that she'd done more than enough for people to be grateful for, but she kept going up. She tried to open a door to another floor but it wouldn't budge. She once again took out her disk and hacked at it until the whole obstacle derezzed.

She stared into the hallway that was filled with more rubble. Jude rezzed another grenade, knowing it was risky. The explosion could destabilize the entire building but she had no other way of getting through.

Jude planted the explosive and took cover as the explosion caused the whole building to shudder. It stood standing though. She cleared the rest of the floors and sprinted down the stairs along with the last group.

Then she heard a loud groan as the metal skeleton of the building start to give way. "Run!" Jude shouted and started taking the stairs down 3 at a time, knowing the risk of tripping but didn't care. She was practically running for dear life.

A pillar came crashing down from above and took out the stairs right behind Jude, killing several ISOs as well. There was no time to think. More pillars came crashing down and Jude made sure the ISOs were ahead of her this time.

As she went down, the stairs were taken out in front of her as well and found herself trapped on the 8th floor. She looked up and saw more rubble coming down. She dived through a door and into a hallway for refuge, which wasn't much better after a while.

Jude ran for a window in hopes she could possibly climb down from the outside. If she wasn't so exhausted with her mind going a million kilometers per second, she could've found the strength and concentration to rez a light jet baton.

But now she couldn't do it to save her life. Literally.

A chunk of the ceiling above crumbled away and hit her on top of her helmet, leaving behind a large crack. Jude crouched against the wall and tried to protect her head with her hands.

As the entire building shivered and fell apart, it was hard to stay in the same place, especially when the floor was about to break as well. A beam crashed through the ceiling and struck Jude's head, this time successfully shattering her helmet and disorienting her from the nasty blow directly to the side of her head.

As she lay there, trying to get her bearings, more of the ceiling broke apart and weakening the floor. The building tore itself apart little by little. Jude attempted to get back up but at the last second dragged herself into another spot right before a large piece of rubble landed where she used to be.

If she'd remained in that spot any longer, it would've killed her for sure. In her second attempt to stand, something small but heavy struck her and she fell back down. Jude's vision danced in front of her eyes and she felt the floor finally give way beneath her.

Then there was nothing below, nothing above, and nothing around her as she fell. Jude squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the pain.

She landed on the rocky, uneven rubble so hard that she didn't feel the pain right away. When it came, it was enough for her to black out while more of the building came crashing down on top of her.

…

Her entire head felt like a Recognizer had landed on it. As Jude slowly recalled what happened before she blacked out, she figured it might as well have. Wouldn't have made a difference.

Jude tried to shift, move a little, the position she was in was very uncomfortable. Something was jutting into her ribs – where most of her weight was – as she lay on her back, something large pressing against her head and squishing it. There was even more little bits of rubble piled on top of her body to the point of blocking out any light; any sound.

_Shfff. Shfff._

Never mind. Unless she was delirious, she was definitely hearing something.

_Shfff. Shfff. Shfff._

It sounded like someone was digging around in the rubble. Jude wanted to shout, do something to make noise, let them know she was there, but she didn't have the strength and was too hurt to do anything.

Everything she'd done earlier in her brave efforts took all the fight out of her and she remained limp, unmoving.

_Shfff. Shfff._

It kept getting a bit louder and closer as the noise was made. There was definitely someone digging through to her. But who?

Something hard smacked the side of her torso and the wreckage digging into her back became more painful. More rubble was cleared away above her. Jude's blurry, unfocused vision made out the silhouettes of many black and orange colored Programs.

Something wrapped around her throat and she was heaved off the ground into the air. Jude gasped for air and weakly clawed at the hands at her neck while someone tore her left sleeve. The violent throbbing sensation in her head got even worse and turned to a sharp pain.

"She's not one of them." She vaguely heard someone say. It sounded far away and seemed to echo in her head.

The hands released her and she was dropped back down to the ground. Jude landed uncomfortably on her side and curled up into a fetal position on top of the rubble.

There were hands on her back and then her disk was removed. The Programs that rescued her from her dark grave started talking but Jude didn't hear them now.

She passed out from the sheer exhaustion.

…

Jude opened her eyes and then quickly squeezed them shut against the bright light. Her head exploded with pain and she was hit with a wave of overwhelming dizziness.

She wasn't outside in the rubble anymore. Where had those Programs taken her?

Jude groaned and turned her head to the side, then gazed through her half-closed eyes. She was in a very small room, lying on a cot. It looked like a cell. Actually, it was.

Attempting to sit up, Jude battled the exhaustion as she rolled onto her side and prop herself up on her elbow. She ended up rolling off the cot and landing in a humiliating face plant.

Not wanting to try again because she was so tired, Jude just laid there. Silent, unmoving. She looked dead.

Maybe she was. Jude certainly felt like it. But if she was dead, wouldn't her pain cease to exist? Jude pressed her forehead into the floor and groaned. This was torture.

A door she hadn't noticed before suddenly opened and three Programs stepped in. One of them remained by the doorway, guarding it. That Program had those orange circuits from before.

Meanwhile the two other Programs kneeling by her side had the jade green of medics. The first medic removed her disk and opened up her code while a second hauled her back onto the cot.

"Her vitals are normal." She vaguely heard the first one say. Though both of their faces were concealed with masks, she could tell the first one was female. Jude turned her gaze to the other. He was male…as was the guard still standing by the doorway.

Blinking hard a few times, Jude tried to clear her vision enough to see past the door. She thought she could see a long hallway through the door. She figured the guards had taken her to a base of some sort.

The second medic, the male, was examining her head injury while the other was peeking at the damage of the code through her disk.

"Uh, Zoran?" The female said, "Could you look at this?" Jude squinted hard at the ceiling. _Did she have any idea what she was doing?_ Jude was having half a mind to get up and fix the problem by herself. She could do twice what that lady could.

She could keep dreaming about scenarios all cycle long. Unfortunately, it didn't mean she could do any of that. Jude was pretty sure her head injury messed up her motor skills and coordination. Maybe even impacted her attention span – she was now constantly catching herself getting distracted when she was trying to focus on the medics.

The male, Zoran, stepped away from Jude and looked at the disk. "What?" He asked. Silently, the female pointed to something in her code. Instead of the usual healthy white color in her code, it was orange, damaged.

Zoran rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. "-is that?" She heard him ask something.

Jude looked at them. "What was that?" She asked, her voice raspy and hoarse. And she wasn't quite sure, but the words probably came out slurred and barely coherent.

The female looked up. "You shouldn't be talking." She said sternly before focusing on the disk again. "I think we should switch around this with that-" She was pointing at bits of her code and showing what should be done.

A realization hit Jude hard. Code doesn't get switched around like that. It's supposed to be replaced. They were either making a temporary fix or a cheap move. These guys had no idea what they were doing!

Jude cried out when the throbbing in her head worsened. She curled back up into the fetal position and clutched at her head. It was deep down inside the center of her head – it felt like the source of her pain…or the female that was fooling around with her disk.

Finding surprising strength from fury and pain, Jude jumped off the cot and launched herself at the female.

Zoran quickly got between them and grabbed hold of Jude. "Solana, get back!" He ordered the female as he pinned Jude back onto the cot. But she wasn't ready to stop fighting.

At some point, the guard by the door had to get involved. He put a light taser on her chest and went back to the door while Jude convulsed from the shocks of electricity. As the edges of her vision started going dark, Jude cursed Solana for screwing with her own code without consent.

…

"Alright, good. Now hold both of your hands in front of you – keep your elbows straight." Jude complied with Zoran and held out her arms. This time they weren't shaking with tremors. At least he knew a little more about her head injuries than Solana. The connection is a little better now.

Speaking of Solana, Jude hadn't seen her since the incident (with the exception of one other time) when she switched around bits and pieces of her code to make a cheap fix. The consequences of which really weren't worth it and nearly killed her at some point. At least she could count on Zoran to fix the problems his partner left behind.

There was no real way to describe how much Jude despised that medic. Jude was supposed to generate tools and little objects out of thin air but could still handle medicine better than Solana ever would.

Though it was so much harder – close to impossible – for Jude to pull batons and grenades out of stray code like she used to, she was still better at working on her head wound than that female medic. (Plus, if there weren't so many complications, she could've found it in her to rez a light grenade and use it to escape.)

The first time Jude had actually touched the wound, it was horrifying. She'd panicked to the point that the orange-circuited guard, Derek, had to sedate her. It was awful.

The second time Jude had touched the wound, she was also gazing at it in the mirror. The exposed pixels of her head were still glowing a bright blue under her short black hair.

At some point, Solana had decided she couldn't get a good look at her head wound because her hair got in the way. That was the last time Jude had seen her. It was the time when they shaved her head completely bald so they had a better look. Again, she'd put up a fight against it and wound up sedated again while they did it.

Now her head was covered with black fuzz that still did little to keep both her wound and the skin on her head hidden. Looking in the mirror, it actually looked like a weird buzz cut.

It looked terrible on her. The style not complimenting her face at all – if there even was anything left of compliment. The gaping wound in plain sight now made her feel like she had nothing.

She hated it.

Jude made the vow to throttle Solana the next time she sees her for 2 specific reasons: 1) Because she manipulated Jude's code using improper techniques without consent. 2) Because she costed Jude her hair. It used to go down to her mid back and was so beautiful back then.

Her hair would take forever to grow back. But Jude knew that her hair was the least of her problems. She still didn't have the slightest idea of where she was, what these Programs wanted and how she'd get out.

_Maybe I could just ask to go outside for a bit?_ She thought. _Surely they'd understand that staying indoors all the time isn't healthy._

_But what if they don't?_ Another part of her wonders. _They're not the friendliest Programs on the Grid. Who knows why they're doing this?_

_It still doesn't hurt to try._ She reasoned with herself.

_You can barely control how you flex your fingers! What makes you think they'll trust you to be independent anyway?_

_They can't keep me here forever!_ Jude retaliated with her negative side. _I will get out eventually, no matter how long I have to wait. I'll bust out of here by any means necessary-_

An explosion shook the building and Jude crouched in a corner, covering her head – mostly her gaping wound. Within Nanos, Derek had opened the door to check on the cowering patient.

For a moment, Jude considered pretending to be insane, saying things along the lines of: 'They're here to kill me!' or 'The end is near!' and maybe follow it up with a maniacal laugh. But she quickly ruled it out.

Something told Jude that if she tried anything, he would sedate her. Then she wouldn't have any chance of getting out on her own.

Jude glanced up at the guard with wide eyes. "What's happening?!" She asked in a barely audible voice. Since she'd gotten that injury on the left side of her head, she couldn't quite speak the way she used to. It was more difficult to speak and work her fine motor skills – especially in the right side of her body.

It was very aggravating, especially if she was already in a bad mood at the time. But she was making the effort to rehabilitate herself and relearn how to do the things she was so used to doing without effort.

The physical therapy was so hard though.

Almost like she couldn't have total command over everything; that parts of her was starting to rebel. Jude couldn't help but feel slightly nerve wracked over something like that.

She was just so…lethargic.

Derek didn't as much as glance at her. He just stood by the door and guarded her from inside. Jude couldn't help but feel irritable at that action. _Doesn't he have better things to silently guard?_ Her grumpy side wondered.

She could now vaguely hear scuffles somewhere in the building and maybe some explosions from grenades. Jude furrowed her eyebrows. "I-Is the base," She started slowly and carefully, "Being…raided?"

Jude saw Derek's hands tense and immediately knew the answer.

"Search every room!" She heard someone shout from down the hall. It was muffled and barely audible so it must've come from far away.

"We need to commence an emergency evacuation." Derek had turned to her and spoke. "Please cooperate so we can all get through this in one piece."

Jude looked down at the floor and bobbed her head once. He helped her onto her feet and stepped towards the door. Derek quickly tapped in the code and slowly, slowly opened the door to peek out through his opaque helmet.

Jude squinted outside the room. It was completely empty. And quiet.

Derek stiffened. Clearly it wasn't a good sign. The guard leaned further out the doorway and glanced to the right-

Right as a pair of hands grabbed him from the left.

Yanked away from her, Jude had no one to offer her even the slightest bit of comfort, something she sought through the simple comforts of a quiet presence or physical contact. She immediately curled up on the floor again, protecting her head.

She heard more footsteps in the hall; they were getting closer. Squeezing her eyes shut, Jude wondered if this was it – her end. She wondered if it would be quick and painless…she hoped so.

Then it was all eerily silent again. For a few Nanos anyway. Then, a single pair of feet gingerly stepped closer to her, very slowly. Jude opened her eyes and raised her head high enough to look at the Program.

It wasn't Derek, Zoran, or Solana. She didn't know who this person was. Taking a few shaky breaths, she urged herself to speak. "Who…are…you?" She whispered.

The Program wasn't looking her in the eyes, but a little higher. She figured he was staring at her wound. "Are you a prisoner?" He asked.

Jude clutched her knees tightly. "I've been kept here for a long time." She said slowly. "I want to leave."

Finally looking into her eyes, he nodded. "We'll get you out." He held out his hand.

Begging her motor skills not to fail her now, Jude very carefully reached out and grasped his weakly. The Program lifted her back onto her feet easily and guided her out of the room for the first time.

She saw that he wasn't alone. There were other Programs in the hallway, some standing over a pile of orange cubes that Jude couldn't stop staring at. She had that nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she almost couldn't bear to face.

Could that be all that's left of Derek? Did Zoran and Solana meet that same fate?

Jude shouldn't have wished pain and misery over Solana. Even if she didn't know what she was doing, it didn't mean she had to die. Jude immediately regretted the negative feelings she had with the young female. She'd never even gotten to know her.

She cautiously eyed the Programs in the hallway with her. One of them was responsible for ending Derek's life. Were they thinking about ending her too? She squeezed the Program's hand.

He didn't look at her. "I need someone to get this Program out of here. She's got an injury that needs some attention."

"I'll help her out." A dark skinned male volunteered. He was sporting a crew cut that made strictly short hair actually look good. Jude immediately envied him. _Leave it to a guy to make extremely short hair look good._ She sighed inwardly.

The other Program took her hand and the first guy let go, quickly moving on. Jude's pace of walking was painfully slow due to poor physical therapy (or lack of it altogether). Luckily, the Program escorting her was patient and didn't rush her at all.

When they finally exited the base, he'd rezzed a light cycle and asked her to climb on. They drove for at least 10 Micros before coming close to another base; quite unlike the one Jude spent so much time in recently. Most buildings in the area were destroyed – very few were left standing.

And then there were many Programs gathered outside. They looked like refugees. Or rebels.

She also noticed not a single Program wore orange circuits. Jude looked at the Program. "Are you…an ISO s-sy-sympathizer?" She asked quietly.

"Yes," He turned his lightcycle back into a baton and took her hand again. "We all are." Jude smiled as another Program approached them. "She needs some medical attention." He told her and then glanced at Jude. "This is Maggie – a medic. You can trust her."

…

Over the next couple of cycles, Jude had undergone more professional physical therapy and was already getting better. She'd come to know the dark skinned male as Cutler – who was very kind and patient with her.

Maggie introduced her to a friend of hers named Jeremy. Jeremy, who wasn't a medic, knew ten times as much about healing injuries as Solana.

Jude immediately felt a pang of guilt for thinking like that. It became such a habit over the past few MylaCycles of imprisonment – constantly judging the now deceased medic.

But the good news is that she's been doing much better since the accident. She can walk faster. In fact, she can run for a short period of time now – as well as other challenging physical exertion. Jude's been exercising the movements on the right side of her body more than her left, seeing she has more difficulty there.

Unfortunately, her head injury hadn't been receiving proper medical attention for too long and was there to stay. Jude was well aware that she'd spend the rest of her life as a cripple of sorts. No more getting into trouble like she used to.

It'd be boring and infuriating.

Just thinking about her future was depressing. She could see nothing helpful to make a difference.

"Hey," Jeremy stood next to her, interrupting her thoughts. "Maggie and I are heading out now."

Of course, she completely forgot they were both going to be double agents – working right under Clu's nose like inside men. At least they could do something helpful.

She was going to miss them. Cutler wasn't the only one to visit and keep her in high spirits. Plus they liked sharing their ideas of how they could possibly upgrade Programs and make them stronger.

Jude vaguely wondered if they'd thought about what exactly they could be getting themselves into and if they were prepared for it. Of course, there was no use nagging them now.

"Okay," Jude stood up and followed Jeremy outside a still-standing building she was staying in. She stopped when she was about one meter away from Maggie. She stretched out her right hand as if it came naturally to her. Maggie appeared impressed with her improvement and shook her hand. "I hope this isn't goodbye." Jude said with a small smile.

"Me too." Maggie replied.

"Hey, what about me?" Jeremy asked, looking slightly offended from the lack of attention.

"You get nothing." Maggie teased him with a slap on his back.

Jude couldn't say she'd been that close to the two Programs. They'd kept her cheerful in their company and helped her with rehab but that was about it. No more than friendly acquaintances that enjoyed company.

Jude embraced Jeremy in a quick hug and then stepped back. "Good luck," She said, "Both of you. Be careful."

Jeremy snickered. "Nah, I just wanted to storm Clu's hideouts and blow everything up." Maggie elbowed him. "Dang, that kills those plans." He finished with a wince.

Oh yeah, she was going to miss them.

Jude watched as they pulled out their batons, rezzed two lightcycles and drove off.

…

"I'm useless." Jude said.

"Now that's not true!" Cutler protested. "You've been supplying us with batons and grenades for a while."

"Yeah, like…1 or 2 of each every cycle!" Jude hung her head. "I used to be better at it."

Cutler touched her shoulder comfortingly. "It'll get easier with practice." He said soothingly.

"I've been trying!" Jude shouted aggressively. "I've been focusing and trying and I just can't do it like I used to!" Jude felt tears sting her eyes. "I just can't do it. I'm useless."

He was silent for a while. Cutler removed his hand from her back and lay down on his back. Jude hugged her knees tighter. _He knows I'm right._ She thought bitterly. _That's why he's at loss of words._

"I'll tell you what." He said. "There is something I know you can do well."

"What's that?" Jude asked in a dull tone.

Cutler caught Jude's eye and smiled that knowing smile. She's seen the look before. It means he has a good idea. Jude turned to fully face him. "What is it?" She asked, more eagerly.

"We both know that Clu hasn't been able to completely eradicate the ISOs." He mused. "There are many refugees fleeing Tron City to restart their lives elsewhere or just hide. And I know of a City where lots of them are going."

"Where?" Jude asked. "I could go there! I could help!"

"I could take you to Iodine City." Cutler said, "I heard some help is needed to help runaways settle in."

"Yes, yes!" Jude said. "I'll do it! I need to do something."

Cutler stood up. "Okay then. Let's go." He smiled.

Jude couldn't help but smile back.

…

"Excuse me," Two Programs wearing dark hooded cloaks stood in front of Jude. "Is this where a Program can seek shelter from the storm?"

They knew the code. An ISO sympathizer had clearly given them directions. Jude quickly waved them inside the abandoned store. She hit a button underneath a counter and a map of the Grid lit up.

"You're ISOs, right?" Jude asked.

"No. Only me." A female lifted her hood. A male did the same. They were both medics; she could tell from their circuits.

"I'm a Special." The male said. "We seek to restart our lives elsewhere, if possible."

Jude nodded. "What are your names?"

"Dallas." The female spoke up.

"Jay." The male murmured, looking over his shoulder.

"What's making you nervous?" Jude asked.

"Uh, I've been chased by some kind of Occupant Soldier." Jay said, keeping his eyes on the windows. "I barely got away from him the last time. He's been hot on our trail."

Jude zoomed into a City on the other corner of the Grid. "I recommend going to Gallium. It's quiet and peaceful there." She smiled. "And the Basics there have been said to welcome ISOs and runaway Specials with open arms. I think it'd be better though to keep that a secret though."

Jude zoomed into another part of the map – to another part of town in Iodine. "If you head northeast of here, you should get to a train station. Head to the lowest floor and go into a maintenance closet at the end of a hall. You'll get transportation from there."

"Thank you." Dallas said while pulling her hood back up to shade her face. "I'm forever indebted to you."

"Yeah," Jay nodded and immediately headed for the door.

Jude calmly watched them leave. She wished them the best of luck. And hopefully this bounty hunter wouldn't track them along the way.

Of course, a Program wearing orange circuits stopped by. He had light brown hair and hazel colored eyes. Kind of cute but Jude didn't care about that. "Excuse me, I'm looking for this Program." He took out his disk and showed her an image of Jay. "Did you happen to see him?"

Jude thought for a moment. Her automatic answer would've been no but it didn't go over well last time. A soldier got suspicious and asked to see her disk. She ended up having to knock him out and move her location to elsewhere in the City.

"I have." She answered, as if she'd just recalled. "He was in the company of another Program, though I couldn't see their face. He asked for directions of how to get to Arsenic. So I told him to head to a train station south of here and get a ticket for the C-train." Jude made sure to add some details so he wouldn't be asking questions all cycle. She just acted like a completely loyal citizen to Clu. It made her feel devious because she clearly wasn't.

The Program nodded his thanks and left without another word. Wow, he was so hot on their trail. Jude felt proud that she'd helped two more lives settle down away from this madness. They didn't deserve such torment like that.

She was shaken from her thoughts when a lone Program wearing a mask entered the shop. "Is this where I can seek shelter from the storm?" He asked.

Jude smiled. "Yes, yes it is."

* * *

**So...Jude knows some familiar Programs. I'm well aware in the trilogy that Dallas and Jay don't acknowledge ever meeting Jude and that's normal. It's not like they can remember every face they see and they only talked for less than 5 Micros.  
I especially thought this chapter was interesting because I made Jude express what brain trauma is like in the left side of the brain. The gash in her head damaged parts of her Frontal, Parietal, and Temporal Lobes. If you're okay with doing research (or know about the brain already), you guys can be judges of how well I pulled off Jude's behaviors and experiences since the accident.**

**Up next, we're going to look into how Clu successfully manipulated 2 of Tron's agents and how they were involved in his army.**

**As always, feedback and opinions are welcome (flames directed towards Clu are also okay). Anyone that does direct flames toward Clu will be used as actual examples next chapter (in a scene where a Program or two directly insult him). ;)  
I'll see you guys next time! TRON LIVES!**


	7. ISO War (Ace's Story)

**Happy Tron Tuesday! Glad I'm not dead! XD Because my older brother drives to school, he's giving me a lift too. I just learned firsthand that he's quite the reckless driver as well. :( Not the best way to start the school year.  
But since I'm still in good condition, I'm still posting this chapter! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – ISO War [Ace's Story]**

Ace's POV

Ace's circuits were glowing a cool blue. He was all business. If Clu had summoned him, then it was a mission (or a lecture he wouldn't be looking forward to). He was good at missions; Ace knew it, Clu knew it, and Tron knew it.

The other agents knew it…especially Zoe. Ace figured Tron and the others just hardly acknowledged it because they assumed you have to be serious all the time. Or maybe they were jealous that he could have a sense of humor too.

If anyone seemed to truly appreciate it, it would be Clu. It was why the System Administrator asked him to join him in the cause – the right path.

Wow, if he said it out loud, it'd sound like he was brainwashed or something. Ace couldn't help but smirk at the thought; it was ridiculous. But if it wasn't for Clu, Ace would probably be hunted, attacked, no one else would've given him a chance.

And now he stood outside the door leading into Clu's chambers. Always the same thing: Clu standing in the same area, staring out the same window, looking out into the same Grid.

But he always gave different orders to different Programs.

Ace walked into the room and blinked in surprise. Clu wasn't doing his usual thing. He was instead, sitting in a chair, massaging his temples, looking stressed.

If Ace wasn't already in a serious mood, he surely was now. Definitely wasn't a time to crack jokes, let alone smile. Seeing Clu like this wasn't a good sign. At all.

The System Administrator looked up and leaned back, resting his chin in his hand, once again looking somewhat like his usual self. Like Ace, Clu was good at masking emotions.

"Ah, good. Right on time." Clu eyed the Agent. "You seem to already know the drill."

"Yes, sir." Ace said stiffly, awaiting orders.

Clu stood up and started walking to his usual spot at the usual window. "If you haven't already heard from other soldiers," Clu drawled out, "Many ISOs have escaped the invasion in their Districts and scattered elsewhere. So I need someone who's good at tracking, someone who is properly motivated to do the right thing." Clu glanced back at Ace knowingly.

"Sir, I'll be happy to serve." Ace said genuinely. All Clu had to do was direct him and he'd take care of the rest. "You can count on me."

Clu nodded. "I know I can."

…

"Well, look who gets to go out on a special mission while someone else plays as the bodyguard of the benevolent leader?" A voice spoke to Ace from behind.

He stopped walking through the hall and smirked. "We'll both have our chances. Clu knows what we're capable of and will put it to use…unlike some others."

Liz sighed, leaning leisurely against a wall and crossing her arms. "Right then. Well, good luck on that mission. I hope you don't come back until at least a good few HiloCycles so I can take a break from your annoying personality."

Ace laughed. "Come on, admit it. You love me for my beautiful sense of humor."

"You wish."

"Well, I do admit that I have plenty of wishes up in this pretty head of mine." He bragged while dramatically brushing his brown hair with his hand.

Liz couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously, I don't know what to say to that." She remarked with a raised eyebrow.

He waggled his eyebrows. "One point for Ace." He said in third person. "Zero for Lizzie."

Without warning, Liz whipped out a small dagger and threw it. The knife buried itself in the wall behind Ace no more than a few centimeters from his head. The small scream he let out was priceless.

"Get outta here." Liz said, shaking her head with a small smile she couldn't hide.

Ace started striding down the hall. "Bye, Lizzie."

Liz threw another dagger at him, which whizzed by his head. And it may or may not have cut part of his hair. "Don't call me that." Liz said in a bored voice while Ace squealed and covered his hair protectively, running the rest of the way.

Of course at all times he had to act like a newly rezzed Program. Everyone knew it – they just didn't entirely accept it…because they were jealous that they couldn't be as fun as him.

…

He clapped his hands together. "Alrighty, let's see who's coming with." Ace said while looking through the rows of guards.

For this particular mission, he needed a small elite team; something that wouldn't attract too much attention but still strike fear into bystanders while they hunted down any ISO refugees.

Ace quickly started walking between the rows, sending away anyone he didn't feel stood much of a chance at all. With the remaining Programs, he rubbed his chin. After 2 good Micros of thinking, he finally made his decision. "You, you, you, you, you, and you." He pointed to several soldiers scattered in the rows.

All six of them stepped forward and Ace nodded in approval. "Yeah, you guys will be my team. We'll leave in precisely one PectroCycle. No later." He turned on his heel and left.

In his dorm, Ace made sure he was stocked up on enough grenades and batons. Once that was done, he had nothing else to do so he sat down on his bed and waited.

As bored as Ace was at the moment, he wasn't ungrateful. He knew he could've ended up in worse situations if Clu hadn't given him a chance.

"_**Ace, look out this window and tell me what you see." Clu said to Ace. The Program did as he was told. Ace saw typical Programs walking or riding down the streets to or from work. But that wasn't where most of his attention was.**_

_**Ace saw groups of gangs all over the City from the room Clu had summoned him, attacking innocent Programs nearby, getting into fights, setting small buildings and vehicles on fire. And there were riots near the ISO Districts – every single one in sight.**_

"_**Chaos." Ace murmured. "I see unregulated behavior and crime. Actions that must be eradicated."**_

"_**That's what I think when I'm looking out this window." Clu replied. "Do you know why I called you here?"**_

_**Ace shook his head. "No, but I don't have much time before I need to get to the security tower for training. But from what I'm seeing, we're more likely to go out to dispatch the crowds near the ISO Districts and arrest gangs."**_

_**Clu exhaled slowly through his nose. "What motivates you to work hard, Ace? What keeps you ambitious?"**_

_**Ace was tempted to question the Administrator. Why did he want to know? But Ace knew better than to disrespect one of Flynn's top Programs. "I wish for peace, freedom, and order on the Grid." He answered slowly. "But I also want to be recognized as a good security Program. I want to do what I believe is right."**_

_**Clu smiled and nodded, as if the answer made him thoughtful. It most likely did. "Ace, I need to tell you something very important. This may not be something easy for you to believe but I wish for you to hear me out."**_

_**Ace inclined his head. "Sir, if it's important, I'll be willing to heed your words indefinitely."**_

_**Clu was silent for a few Nanos, the atmosphere around the room becoming tense. The Administrator turned to face the security Program with hard eyes. "Flynn has abandoned us."**_

_**Ace blinked in surprise. Of all the things he expected Clu to say, it wasn't that. He thought Clu would mention something about a terrorist threat or that maybe Flynn was brining yet another User to the Grid with him.**_

_**Flynn abandoning them? Ace truly did find that difficult to believe. But he said nothing, Clu had yet to elaborate, to explain what he really meant.**_

"_**The Creator has indeed been visiting the Grid more often than usual, but he's devoting less time in authorizing me to make decisions necessary to maintain perfection." Clu watched Ace's reaction carefully as he spoke. "He's pampering the ISOs and not seeming to care about order and perfection anymore."**_

_**Ace's eyes widened. Of course Flynn was constantly visiting the ISO District but that didn't mean he was abandoning his duties as a User…right?**_

_**He had to admit it'd been a while since he'd seen Flynn converse with Clu about what to do about the gangs and Grid bugs. "What about Tron?" Ace asked. "Haven't you spoken to him about this?"**_

_**Clu sighed. "Tron's duty is ultimately to the Users. He's blind to what Flynn's planning. I suspect he plans to take the ISOs with him out of the Grid and never return. Tron chooses to remain blind to that possibility, which means most of his security Programs are as well."**_

"_**But if Flynn doesn't come back…" Ace trailed off. It would end catastrophically. Clu wouldn't have all the power and permissions to take care of everything himself. Even with Tron helping, it would be in vain. They need a User to help keep things in check. "Is it possible that Flynn isn't thinking straight under all the stress? Or…" Ace hesitated. Asking this the wrong way wouldn't end well. "Could Abraxas have gotten to Flynn?"**_

_**Clu blinked and Ace could've sworn he saw a glint of something before it quickly vanished. "I wouldn't know, Ace. But my duty is to the Grid and its Programs. I'm supposed to create the Perfect system." Clu's hands fisted as he looked out the window. "But things keep getting in my way."**_

_**Ace followed Clu's gaze. He knew what Clu meant: the ISOs. They weren't organized, they didn't have a purpose, a function…nothing except living. They're just…random.**_

_**And Ace knew as well as Clu that random opposed perfection. And knowing that the Creator was close to making a regrettable decision meant they had to do something.**_

_**Ace personally met Flynn and held a deep respect towards the User but like Clu, his duty was to the Programs. He was meant to maintain peace and order. But if Flynn abandoned them, chaos would ensue. Everything Ace worked so hard for throughout his life would all be for nothing.**_

"_**I feel the only way to liberate the Programs is to create the perfect system." Clu told Ace. "But I can't do this without help."**_

_**Ace had been thinking carefully through this whole conversation and he knew what he had to do. He only saw one good option. "Sir, I pledge my allegiance to you on this mission. I will help you accomplish your goal to achieving perfection and order by any means necessary."**_

_**Clu turned to face the Security Program fully. "Do you?" He asked. "Do you really?"**_

_**Ace saluted the System Administrator. "Yes, sir. What are your orders?"**_

Not only was Ace given the chance to do the right thing, he was also given the rank of General. Quite impressive, in his opinion. He felt like he did the right thing joining Clu. And Ace was glad Liz did too.

Well, he'd heard that Liz put up a fight at first, refusing to believe anything as such about Tron and Flynn but she eventually accepted it when it started making more and more sense to her. Now, like Ace, she was completely devoted to Clu.

At least the two of them were able to see things clearly. A shame no one else under Tron's command truly saw it though…except Dyson.

Ace had seen Tron's friend quite a lot…when they weren't executing ISOs in the streets. Other than a slightly darker mood and a completely healed face, Dyson didn't change one bit. Like Tron, poor Dyson lacks the ability to loosen up enough to have some fun. His fate is sealed.

The only thing that really changed about Liz was her primary circuit colors – changed from white to orange to show her allegiance to Clu.

Ace never did that with his circuits; mainly because he can't. They change color between red and blue depending on his mood. Besides, it wasn't like Ace had to show his loyalty to the System Administrator through the colors he wore. It was clear he was dedicated to Clu's cause: perfection and order.

…

They'd managed to catch at least a couple hundred ISOs in the last several Cities visited the past cycles. Ace couldn't have felt more proud of ridding the Grid of the imperfection. He knew he was doing the right thing.

Not only was he doing Clu a favor he greatly appreciated, but he was keeping order with the Programs that witnessed the deletion of each and every ISO. Everyone had to know their place.

Ace certainly knew his.

Now their next stop was Beryllium. According to his sources, there was a generous amount of ISO scum hiding amongst the Citizens there. It was also reported that there were many sympathizers populating Beryllium, so caution was advised.

No duh.

It wasn't like Ace was just going to march in like he owned the place and pick random fights with Programs (even though the thought was tempting and Ace knew he could get away with it. But he wasn't here for fun.

He was here because it was his mission; what Clu personally asked him to take care of.

Ace halted his bike on the City's border and held up his hand as a signal for the others to stop as well. "We go on foot from here." He said firmly. "We need to be very thorough with our searches. The ISOs are getting good at hiding and there are many Basics here that are willing to help them. So, as usual, just do as I say and try not to do anything stupid."

He didn't need to tell them anything twice. They were good soldiers – quite skilled in handling combat and/or verbal quarrels. Plus they don't question their orders.

For some reason, when Ace was hunting the ISOs, his circuits turned red. Deleting these anomalies was an important and serious goal, which should turn his colors blue, but he got a thrill out of the experience. He supposed that in a way every order he follows for Clu gave him that feeling.

It was sort of strange. But it didn't feel like anything compared to that strange sixth sense he had. It was like he somehow knew when one was close by and where they were. And he was picking up something now.

Ace stopped walking and turned in the direction that weird tingling sensation felt strongest. He settled his gaze on a particular Program. Glancing down at the sleeve, he narrowed his eyes.

One of the soldiers accompanying him seemed to take the hint and quickly approached the Program; the others followed suit. While the Program was restrained, Ace tore his left sleeve to reveal the glowing mark of a male ISO – a hexagon with an arrow pointing backwards toward the triceps.

The female mark was slightly different. It was a hexagon on the left arm with a T turned 270 degrees next to it closer to the back of the arm.

Ace had grown so familiar with the two symbols that whenever he sees them, he immediately goes into danger mode. He narrowed his eyes at the ISO that looked at him fearfully, face pale and body shaking in the grasp of the soldiers.

Without warning, Ace whipped out his disk and derezzed the ISO. It happened so fast he never got to cry out in pain. In fact, he probably didn't feel a thing; and Ace was okay with that. Even he had his limits; he was never quite able to stomach torture.

Then the wave of nausea hit him. It happened every time he derezzed an ISO. Luckily the guards accompanying him were just Basics so none of them were fazed by the death. They got into routine of covering Ace until he was able to recollect himself.

The downside of the unpleasant feeling was that it never got better or worse. It was there and then it wasn't. Same thing every single darned time.

Ace never figured it meant anything, he just found it annoying; something that constantly got in the way.

When the pain, without warning (as usual) went away, Ace glanced up and grinned deviously. "Well hello, Lieutenant Skipper." He greeted. "Fancy seeing you here."

The hunter merely blinked and raised his eyebrows. "Likewise."

"So…who's your target this time?" Ace asked.

"You."

"Ah, that's nice – wait. What?!" Ace squeaked.

It was the Lieutenant's turn to smirk, to which Ace smirked back. "I'm just kidding. Obviously. I can't believe you believed it. I'm actually looking for Zoe." Well, his smirk was wiped off a second time.

"She still hasn't been caught yet?"

"Nope. I've actually been tracking her for the past few MylaCycles. She's a slippery one."

_That sounds like Zoe._ Ace thought. "Of course she is. She was Tron's best." As much as he looked up to her as a superior and a good example, respecting her, he was also jealous and a little irritated from her lack of humor. Nonetheless, they were once good friends – no. They were more like friendly-ish allies that still liked to quarrel now and then.

But that was in the past. Ace changed for the better and he was fulfilling his duty to the Grid. He is the example now – except Zoe, nor were the others following it…except Liz.

Skipper let out a humorless laugh. "No kidding." He started walking away, followed by his small squad of soldiers. "Best of luck on your mission." He called over his shoulder.

Usually, Ace would say "you too" but he felt too conflicted for some reason. So he just said "thanks" and moved on by a few steps before he got that light tickle again.

He looked around. It wasn't an ISO but a Special. Whether they were sided with Clu or not was yet to be determined once he found him or her. Maybe he should call Skipper back to deal with it but another part of him said not to. That second part won the mental battle.

A scuffle happened to his right and he saw a few of his soldiers tackled a Program and pin him. "Sir, this Program tried to run." He reported.

Ace knelt down next to the civilian and examined him. He shook his head. "No, he's not one of them." He was released and the Program quickly ran away. "Keep moving, we need to eliminate as many ISO escapees as possible." The soldier all nodded in acknowledgment and moved on.

That prickling sensation caught his attention again and not only that. He was being watched. Looking out at the crowd of Programs, Ace let his eyes settle over a small, dark figure in a black cloak. A female. The cape went down to her mid-thigh and hung loosely over her shoulders, covering part of her neck and chest. The hood was also drawn, casting a dark shadow over her face so she couldn't be seen though Ace saw several strands of blonde hair uncovered.

The figure noticeable tensed – she knew he was watching her. Ace narrowed his eyes. She seemed to lower her head further. Yeah, she definitely didn't want to be recognized.

Glancing at her legs that weren't covered by the cloak, he noticed her circuit design. Primary white merging in and out of a teal and turquoise color combination. There was only one known Program like that.

It was Zoe.

Suddenly, it was like he could see straight through the shadow covering her. He could see her face. It was definitely her.

The look on her face was enough to keep him from calling Lieutenant Skipper over to deal with the runaway Special. It made him even consider overlooking the fact that he saw her.

She was just a mix of so many potent emotions: fright, anger, determination, melancholy. It was just the things to induce shame. Zoe was a former comrade, she used to be superior to him under Tron's command but she still respected him as an equal or sorts.

Zoe was always there to challenge him, not just to keep him in "his place" but to also push his limits, expand his strength and practices. She's one of the reasons he ever got so good in fighting.

In a way, he owed her. Besides, Clu ordered him to eradicate the ISOs, not to hunt the Specials; nor was he ever directly commanded to report it if he ever saw one.

This was his way of repaying her. A chance.

He sighed and shook his head, pretending like he didn't see anything at all, that it was just a false alarm. Ace turned on his heel and walked away, only looking back once to see how she'd respond to that.

Zoe was moving in the opposite direction, clearly avoiding him. Ace managed to suppress a smile. Next time he wouldn't hold back anything but Ace also couldn't help but feel happy for her.

She was still as free as her spirit.

"There's a Special! Get her!" And that's how skilled Skipper's soldiers are. Just as good as their squad leader. Ace had to admit that he was impressed. The fact Zoe was spotted though wasn't Ace's fault, he gave her a chance. Therefore, he was no longer in Zoe's debt.

Somehow though, Ace could resist watching the chase go down. Of course, Skipper's soldiers may have seen her but that didn't mean she'd be captured easily. Turns out he was right. Zoe managed to shake them off and disappear.

Obviously, the agent's skills haven't dulled the tiniest bit.

"Sir, I think we caught one." Ace was shaken from his thoughts. Without a word, he approached the prisoner and checked for the mark. Sure enough, there it was.

He grabbed his disk and derezzed the ISO. "Let's keep moving." Ace said, putting away his disk.

…

"You're the worst System Administrator in the history of System Administrators! I bet you only attacked the ISOs because you were jealous of all the attention Flynn gave them!" The prisoner shouted at Clu. Wow, this Program had guts for sure. Not only was this guy caught for attacking guards on the street, but he had a history of helping ISOs into hiding.

"You have no right to rule the Grid as a Dictator! And if you think everyone's just going to willingly follow you right after committing genocide on one-third of the Grid's population, then you're a fool!" Okay, this sympathizer had a death sentence for sure. No one dared to insult Clu like that. Ace glanced to his left at Liz. Sure enough, he could see her shock through her posture.

Ace glanced at Clu, who didn't look the least bit amused from the Program's words. The System Administrator turned to face the Basic fully. "Anything else you'd like to say?" He sneered.

The cuffed Program kneeling before Clu simply glared and remained silent. Clu stepped closer and circled the prisoner like a predator stalking prey. This wasn't looking so good. "I'll ask you one last time, Program." The Administrator leaned closer so he was in his face. "Where are your ISO friends hiding?"

"Go jump into the Sea of Simulation!" He snarled back.

Ace would be lying if he didn't find those words ironic, seeing that Clu recently poisoned the Sea to stop the ISOs from manifesting. Plus it's not entirely certain if it would be safe for a Program to be in the Sea. But then again, what Program against Clu didn't want him to derez?

Clu smirked and straightened up, his eyes looking at the Basic in cold amusement, doing well to hide the anger and frustration burning underneath. But Ace knew better.

"Dyson, I think this one needs to be better acquainted with you, don't you think?" Oh, Ace knew that look. "Why don't you see if you can…coax anything out of him?"

Dyson smiled. "Of course, sir." He hauled the Basic to his feet and pushed him out of the room.

Ace knew what the General had planned. The ISO sympathizer was going to become very familiar with Dyson…as well as the torture chamber.

He was grateful that he never had to witness anything such as that. If anything, he was squeamish with that stuff. He had his own limits of what he'd commit himself to in Clu's name.

"Tron will find you and knock you into the next MylaCycle! You're going to wish you were never brought into existence!" Ace heard the Basic's insults echo through the hall as he was dragged further away from Clu.

Dyson was for sure going to make sure the rebel pay for what he said to Clu's face. A Program could be severely punished saying less insulting things behind Clu's back but saying that stuff to his face?

Ace would be surprised if he made it through to the next cycle.

If the Program wasn't so bent on opposing Clu, Ace would've felt sorry for him. But he had it coming.

Ace couldn't help but wonder what Zoe would endure if she was brought back here-

Wait what? Ace shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking about her. He knew he should be thinking about his next move on how to find a more effective method of wiping out the ISOs.

But for some reason, he couldn't keep Zoe's face out of his head. The image from Beryllium when he could've turned her over. It was like she was trying to tell him something.

He knew that he betrayed her but she was on the wrong side in the conflict…right?

_No! Stop it!_ Ace shook his head. Thinking anything like that was treason. But he had to wonder who was really right in this conflict. Was it really right to kill off the ISOs? The nausea that followed their derezzolution should've tipped him off that it was wrong but it could mean anything other than that.

And did Flynn really think about abandoning them? That couldn't have been right. He worked so hard to build this utopia that he couldn't just leave it all behind, even if he really did intend to leave the Grid with the ISOs.

It was then that Ace realized something. It was never decided if the Specials were going to leave the Grid. The ISOs weren't the only ones being pampered but Flynn never said anything about taking any Specials with.

Ace knew that Flynn wouldn't just abandon them even if he did take the ISOs with him out of the Grid. The Creator would still have something here to come back to.

Clu was wrong. Flynn was just temporarily distracted with other priorities but he would never abandon them. Ever.

The System Administrator sighed, grabbing Ace's attention once again. "You're both dismissed." He said tiredly. "I need to think."

Ace didn't hesitate. He strode right out of the room and didn't look back. Of course, he knew he couldn't just leave that poor Basic here at the base to be tortured, so he figured he'd bust him out too.

He found him strapped down to a table in the dark, cold chamber, marred with some nasty wounds on his face and body. He was also missing a hand now.

Ace derezzed the restraints and hauled up the unconscious prisoner. Now all he had to do was play as the casual guard until he got out of the base.

Seeing that he didn't have any belongings he needed before he left, he just went out to the hangar and outside. He needed to find his old pal, Cutler.

He could trust the Basic to explain himself without getting derezzed by him.

…

"You picked one heck of a time to suddenly switch sides." Cutler said pointedly. "What made you change your mind about Clu?"

Ace chose his words carefully when he spoke. "Clu manipulated me into thinking Flynn would abandon all of us if he had his way with the ISOs. He…tricked me. I just happened to get a fresh perspective from a few individuals."

Cutler considered the answer and seemed satisfied. "I'd believe that." He said. "Unfortunately, not everyone else will." The Basic stood up. "You can't stay here. Even if you appear to be deserting Clu, you won't be so easily forgiven." Glancing at the prisoner Ace busted out, he added, "Clu will also be upset that you committed a crime right before leaving." He shook his head. "You really burned the bridge, Ace."

The Special managed to crack a small smile. "Lately, that's the only thing I've been good at. I know this isn't going to be easy but I'm glad to still have you around, man."

"But I'm still not very happy about your decision making earlier." Cutler shook his head. "That won't be so easily forgotten even by me. I only listened because it was only fair to hear you out. Be glad that I did."

Ace stood up. "I know an apology won't fix up every problem I caused but I'm still going to say it." He sighed. "I'm sorry. And from now on, I'm going to work to redeem myself. Hopefully I can at least regain the trust of some of the friends and allies I've lost."

Cutler shook Ace's hand. "I wish you the best of luck, old friend."

"Yeah," The injured Basic added, followed with a fit of coughing. "Me too. Thanks for busting me out. I think Dyson was only going easy on me that time." He shuddered. "I don't even wanna know what I would've had to face if you didn't help me."

Ace nodded. "You're welcome." He started walking out, "And I hope you get better real soon, because I don't think Clu's letting up anytime soon." Ace managed a small smile to both Basics before he disappeared.

Ace was nervous. He knew he wouldn't be easily forgiven or welcomed back. And to top it off, he'd have to work extra hard in gaining back everyone's trust.

But it was a challenge. Ace liked challenges.

He was ready.

Ace rezzed his lightcycle and drove away without looking back.

* * *

**Also, very good news, my trial net results came back. No early signs of type 1 diabetes so I'm good with that too. ;)  
I should also mention now: since school has started, my homework and projects (there will be a lot of them) may interfere with my writing time. So if I miss posting one week, at least there's an explanation and fair warning for you all.  
Up next, we'll find out what's happened with Reni and Avery during the Purge. I'll even later explain what happened to Avery, since he was only mentioned once in the entire series. When I say I intend to tie up loose ends, I'm not kidding around. ;P  
Also, a big thank you the guest reviewer: The Chosen One, who seems to be an old friend. Thank you for the flames! XD  
And as always, comments, feedback, constructive criticism, and flames for usage purposes are always welcome!  
TRON LIVES!**


	8. ISO War (Avery and Reni's story)

**I know I owe you guys an apology for not posting the now-long-overdue chapter but my computer came down with something worse than the Abraxas Virus and had to get a new one. (I also lost motivation after all my documents became unreachable. I knew I should've saved my stuff in Google Drive! But no, the only thing I had was this particular chapter because I'm dopey!). That means all plotlines and character lists for my other planned fanfictions and novels are gone. :(  
But all things considered, I believe my reaction and behavior was fairly normal. And now that that's pushed aside, I can get on with things.**

* * *

**Chapter 8 – ISO War [Avery and Reni's story]**

Avery's POV

"Is it clear?" Reni's quiet voice asked.

Avery squinted around the corner. There were soldiers everywhere. "I think we'll be here awhile." His breathy voice replied. "Maybe peek again in a XilaCycle or so."

"There's that many? We can't afford to wait that long."

Avery shook his head slowly and stepped back, further into the dark alleyways they hid in. "I get the feeling they know we're around here somewhere."

"Well great!" Her agitated voice almost echoed off the walls.

"Will you shut up!" He snapped in a harsh whisper. "I'm pretty sure the Users outside the Grid heard you!"

"I'm getting impatient!" She retorted. "We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

Avery glanced over his shoulder at her. "Do you know how many Programs are leaving this very nano? If we're one of them, it's probably more convenient because I'd bet my disk that most of those refugees are wanted."

"Hooray, we'd add to the percentages." She sneered. "Look at us! We're wanted too!"

The agent winced and peeked outside again. Apparently no one heard them…yet. They both remained silent for at least a PectroCycle, keeping busy with nothing except twiddling their thumbs and peeking outside their hiding place.

"They definitely know where we are." Avery muttered.

"I bet it's all Skipper." Reni mumbled, not moving from her face down position on the ground, trying to nap. "He's gotta be the one tracking us. No one else is this persistent."

Avery glanced at her nervously. "I certainly hope not."

Reni sat up and looked over Avery's shoulder. "They know we're here. So we need a good distraction to make a run for it."

"What if they're waiting for us to make a move?" Avery asked. "Maybe they're just testing to see if we're actually here."

Reni narrowed her eyes. "I'm not usually the Program to complain but we've been here for Cycles! I would kill for a shot of energy! We need to get out of here or we'll eventually get caught."

"Keep it down!" He hissed. "Or they'll know we're here for sure."

Furrowing her brows at her comrade, Reni asked, "Is it really worth waiting much longer here?" When Avery didn't answer, she pressed further. "Avery, I know you need energy too. We can't spend the rest of our lives hiding in a hole! Either we get out of the City or we don't."

Sighing in resignation, Avery nodded. "Okay." He held Reni's eyes. "Okay, we'll give it a shot." The agents each pulled out a stun grenade and a smoke grenade in each hand.

"One." Reni counted. "Two….three!" They activated the grenades and threw them at the guards.

Naturally, they were more used to chasing other Programs than to be targets – and under these circumstances, they had to keep reminding themselves that it wasn't a good idea to start fighting the guards unless necessary. Their primary goal was to escape.

Reni panted behind Avery as they rounded several corners, once in a while glancing behind them. No pursuit. That was quite strange because when something like that happened, they were supposed to scour the area for the rebel Programs.

They were both tired, but not exhausted enough to not realize that this was too weird.

Avery slowed his pace to grab Reni's arm and pull them into another alley. She looked at him with a tense expression. "You feel that too?" She asked.

He nodded. "They should've been chasing us. We're not as fast as we usually are so they could've easily caught up."

Reni's eyes widened a fraction. "Users," She face palmed. "This is a trap!"

"Shh!" Avery silenced her and peeked around the corner. He sharply inhaled. "I think the entire squad's following us. I'd bet my own head that we're surrounded too, they're slowly closing in."

She growled. "Of course. It's definitely Skipper tracking us."

"Then we need to leave the City." He whispered.

"I was just going to say that." She mumbled.

Avery held up his hand. "On my signal…"

Reni's jaw went slack for a nano before getting ahold of herself. "Are you insane?" She whisper-shouted. "You can't pull that stunt again! Last time I almost got killed!"

"You'll be ready for it this time." He looked at her. "We have to try."

Reni sighed. "That's a big gamble." She muttered when he dropped a small device in her hand. Avery had two others. Together, they walked to the dead end of the alley and attached one device on each wall a generous distance apart.

"Uhh…make some noise." Avery asked while he synched them to a remote.

Reni rolled her eyes. "I hate you!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "If you weren't so stupid to make us hide in this alley we probably would've escaped the City by now!"

Outside, the guards took the bait and entered the alley. Avery grabbed onto a rail tightly and then held Reni's hand tightly. When most of the soldiers were within range, Reni activated the remote with her free hand and the three devices on each wall created an anti-gravity field.

The orange soldiers were lifted off their feet. Avery struggled to keep his feet planted while holding onto the bar and Reni, who was also airborne. She deactivated the devices and the guards, who were obviously confused and startled, landed hard on the ground, not getting up.

Once gravity was restored, Reni pressed the self-destruct on the remote and high tailed with Avery, picking up two batons on their way out. They rezzed the bikes and raced as far away from the alleyway as possible.

"Come on, admit it!" Avery shouted. "My plan was genius."

"Fine. It was good. At least we were better prepared this time." Reni muttered.

"Thank you, Google!" Avery said, followed by a laugh.

Reni shook her head. "Who would've thought that guy's crazy inventions would be so useful?"

"We were desperate." Avery said with a shrug.

Reni sighed and looked straight ahead. She gasped. "Look out!" She closed her baton and expertly rolled to a stop. Avery did the same soon after. Someone went ahead and cut them off while they were talking and was currently circling them.

Someone within Clu's ranks.

Avery narrowed his eyes. "Skipper." He greeted. "Been a while."

"Too long." The soldier corrected. "It's been so good to catch you though."

Reni immediately drew her disk. "You can't take both of us!" She pointed out.

Avery smirked and activated his disk as well. "Come on, old pal. Just let us through and tell Clu we beat you in a fight. It'll save all of us a lot of trouble."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Skipper informed them while he pulled out a staff. "You're both a threat to Clu and have to be apprehended."

Avery mocked a sigh. "Then I'm truly sorry, old friend." But before he could strike, Reni rushed the soldier and managed to deliver a powerful kick to the head.

"Come on!" She rerezzed her bike and drove off. Avery docked his disk, glancing back at Skipper – who was getting back up – before riding away on his lightcycle as well. "It's odd." Reni commented, glancing back. "He's not pursuing." She frowned. "And I have that weird feeling again."

"Me too." Avery furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't think he's going to pursue this time." He looked back and let out a light laugh. "How hard did you kick him?"

"Hard enough, apparently." Reni replied slowly, now keeping her eyes on the road ahead. Eventually, she stretched out an arm and pointed. "There's our ticket out. The bridge."

Avery groaned. "There're checkpoints." He said back.

"So…we'll just skip 'em." She decided, speeding up a bit more.

He rolled his eyes and followed suit.

"Identify!" Three sentries pointed their staffs at the agents, only to dive out of the way at the last nano to avoid the speeding lightcycles.

"This is dangerous and destructive!" Avery shouted to his comrade. "And stupid! Clu will know that we're not in the City anymore."

"Good!" She shot back. "I want him to know that his soldiers failed to capture us!"

"This isn't over yet." He reminded Reni. "If one of us don't make it, they'll be left behind. No exceptions whatsoever, got it?"

She spared him a look before activating her light wall, upon seeing pursuit from the corner of her eye. "Hopefully it won't come to that." She said, "But fine."

"There's a blockade coming up." Avery managed a small smile. "I have to admit their communication systems are quite advanced. I had no idea they could react so quickly."

"We were reported." Reni reminded Avery, "Probably by Skipper. He doesn't give up easy and knew they'd have plenty of time to prepare."

Avery groaned, knowing that she was right. Skipper was just an ordinary Basic Program, but he was exceptionally gifted. An expert strategist and makes sure to know exactly what he's dealing with before diving into a mission. Every small detail planned out, as well as backups.

If things had stayed the same without any drastic changes, Tron without doubt would've let him join the security ranks. Avery knew him well. Skipper was actually the one to find him in the Outlands shortly after rezzolution. That meant he was also given a tour of the City by him.

Skipper was Avery's first friend and gave him the opportunity to practice sparring together as well as strategy games even before he joined Tron.

If only things didn't become so different now.

Avery's eyes widened when he saw there were rows of tanks and several recognizers on the sidelines. "Reni, do you see what I see?" He wanted to make sure that Clu's forces weren't actually desperate enough to do all that.

"Oh yeah, it's there. But I have a sneaky suspicion it's not just for us." She grimaced as they got closer, bracing herself. Avery decided to do the same. "Maybe there're other runaway Specials and ISO escapees they want to catch."

"On this particular bridge?!" Avery exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure Skipper arranged all of this just for us!"

Reni didn't respond to the point their bikes started breaking through the rows and rows of soldiers and vehicles. At some point they had to remove their disks to help clean their exit a bit better.

The tanks started to slowly turn and aim at the two escapees while the recognizer engines warmed up. The tanks started firing. The plasma laser tore up the road to Avery's right and he swerved to avoid any fragments.

"I'm just going to point this out right now," Avery shouted to his comrade. "It was your idea to escape via the bridge! We would've had a better chance by swimming in the Sea of Simulation and poisoning ourselves!"

"You're the stupid one!" Reni shot back. "At any time, you could've corrected our route. But you were so flippin' busy daydreaming!"

She gritted her teeth when a fragment from an explosion hit her back. But Avery had it much worse. A larger chunk of the road landed right in front of his bike before he had any opportunity to dodge.

He yelled out a colorful curse when his lightcycle flipped and derezzed. _What a pathetic bike_. He thought bitterly.

Avery spared a glance at his slowly shrinking ally, who was also looking back. They knew the rule, anyone who falls behind gets left behind. He knew now that he was a priority, Reni wouldn't have as much attention and would escape for sure.

Avery however…

He slowly stood up and glanced around. Shrugging, "Well boys, looks like I've reached the end of the line." The Special raised his hands in surrender. It wasn't that he's cowardly, he just cared much for his dignity. And he wasn't in the mood to make a fool of himself.

They handcuffed and shoved him into a truck. Before it drove off, however, a surprise Program stepped in.

Avery pursed his lips at his old friend but other than that, betrayed no emotion.

Noticing his partner missing, Skipper set his mouth grimly. "I suppose I'll have to track Reni another Cycle." He mused.

Avery just had to laugh at the soldier. "You won't find her now and you know it as well as I do."

Skipper narrowed his eyes but didn't speak. He knocked on the sheet of metal separating him from the driver's seat and the truck started rolling.

Avery smirked. "How's that kick?"

In response, Skipper grumbled something he couldn't quite catch and touched the spot where Reni assaulted him. It was a good looking bump too.

"What was that?" The Special asked.

"Shut up."

**…**

Avery sat cross-armed, legs stretched out in front of him on the bench. He blew his scruffy bangs out of his eyes and kept staring into the nothingness of the force field blocking him from freedom.

"Okay, I got another one." Avery glanced at his cellmate.

"Shoot." The agent replied.

She grinned. "Okay, there's a dead Program lying on a bed, next to her is a knife. There's broken glass from a mirror and some water, but no cubes that prove of any assault. How'd the Program die?"

Avery scrutinized the wall in front of him. She shared very difficult riddles but he couldn't come up with any answer. "I don't know."

The Program next to him giggled. "The broken glass is irrelevant," She hints.

"I give up." Avery leaned back and switched his gaze to the force field on the ceiling of the cell. "What's the correct answer?"

His cellmate laughed. "She laid down next to the knife on a waterbed. The knife punctured it and she drowned."

Avery's gaze at the ceiling quickly turned to a scowl. "You left out the detail about the waterbed!" He accused.

His nameless new companion huffed. "The point of it is to test your creativity!"

"Do I look like the creative type to you?" Avery asked with a sigh. "I hate those riddles."

She grinned. "Wanna hear something else?"

With nothing better to do, he just gave a big nod. "Fine."

"Pete and Repeat were on a boat. Pete jumped off, who's left?"

"Repeat."

"Pete and Repeat were on a boat. Pete jumped off, who's left?"

"Repeat."

"Pete and Repeat were on a boat. Pete jumped off, who's left?"

"Repe-" Avery's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, stop it!"

She started laughing. "Don't feel bad about how long it took for you to get it. I had a friend who took many more tries before she got it."

"How many?" Avery asked out of curiosity.

She pursed her lips. "I'm not sure. I lost count after thirty."

He groaned. "Poor guy."

"The Program was actually a female."

"Whatever." Avery grumbled.

She was silent for about ten nanos before she broke her newest record. Avery was surprised that her head never exploded from so much talking. "So...what did you do to get caught?"

_Wow, it takes her five PectroCycles of sharing riddles before she finally focuses on something more real? How sad. _"For not switching sides." He replied easily. "I worked for Tron. I refuse to serve the man who betrayed Flynn and killed the Program I looked up to the most." He paused. "What about you?"

"Uh..." She bit her lip. "I'm an ISO. Pretty sure I won't be a prisoner for much longer. I was lucky to be put away here for a while."

Avery's slightly irritated expression immediately softened. That's why she was talking so much. She had no idea how much longer she'd have for socializing. He sat up straighter and looked at her.

The ISO was so young, so innocent. Quite unlike any of the nasty rumors that were spread about her kind...not that Avery ever believed them.

But still, he couldn't help but compare and contrast the rumors he'd heard and the living being sitting right next to him.

"What's your name?" She asked, any cheerfulness was gone, replaced with a more serious expression. She looked so….so _dead_ now.

"Avery," He answered casually. "You?"

Their moment was interrupted when the cell opened up. "Get up, Program!" One of them barked.

The ISO who's name was still a mystery to the Special stood up, only to be jabbed with a stun pike and knocked back towards the bench. "Not you!" He shouted. "Get up, Program!"

Of course, they meant him. Clu probably requested and audience with him for the purpose of recruiting. Avery had to bite his tongue when he stood up and walked carefully towards the guards with his hands raised.

They each took hold of one of his arms and pulled him down the hallway after locking the cell again. The nameless ISO was all alone now. Avery had no idea if she'd be able to socialize now that he's away. There weren't any other Programs in neighboring cells and the guards would likely torment her if she spoke directly to them.

Avery had to resist feeling sorry for her. It wasn't because he resented her and her species. He liked her and knew the ISOs didn't do anything wrong. It was just the fact that he shouldn't feel sorry for her for guards hating her just because of her species.

None of this was supposed to happen at all. He had to wonder where and when it all went wrong.

After turning down a few corridors, the guards opened an elegant looking door and marched him inside. Almost right away, he was greeted with Clu and Skipper standing closely side by side, chatting quietly with their backs turned.

Skipper was the first to acknowledge Avery's presence. "Hello," He greeted.

Clu merely glanced up and dismissed the soldiers so he could offer Avery a seat. "No, thank you." He denied.

"Sit." Clu ordered more firmly.

Avery only did so much as standing firmly where he was and folding his arms defiantly. "No." He said more firmly.

Skipper narrowed his eyes. "You're acting like a newly rezzed Program." He insults. "Stop being childish and just sit."

The Agent glanced at the Soldier. "I've spent the last several PectroCycles sitting on a bench and doing nothing." Avery said slowly. "My butt is numb so I'd prefer to stand." Clu looked amused from the response. Of course he'd be. Avery resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Whatever offer or question you have to ask of me will all be for nothing, I should add." He said calmly. "You're just wasting your time. I'm better off just going back to my cell to rot for eternity."

Clu tsked and started circling the Special. "Such a waste of talent though, don't you think, Skipper?" The Lieutenant nodded. "I think you should at least hear me out, Avery." The Administrator suggested, which sounded more like a stern command. "I think that, at least, is more fair." Clu smiled. "I think every Program deserved a second chance."

"But not the ISOs?" Avery pointed out accusingly.

Clu blinked, showing no other sign of being fazed. "They're not Programs."

Well, it looked like Avery's suspicions were confirmed then. "Take me back to my cell. Now." He said through gritted teeth. "I no longer want a part of this. I don't care what you say or do. Just put me back in my User forsaken cell!"

Skipper blinked in surprise and looked at Clu, who's expression was cold and calculating. "Escort our...guest out." Clu ordered.

The soldier nodded, grabbed Avery's upper arm and pulled him towards the door. "That wasn't a wise choice." Skipper said evenly, like he was very annoyed.

"I don't care what Clu wants with me." Avery spat. "I refuse to cooperate the tiniest bit."

"But you are now." He pointed out.

"Shut up!" Avery paused. "Out of curiosity, what did he want?"

Skipper rolled his eyes. "He would've explained it if you let him." Avery waited for an answer and his old friend sighed and turned down another hall, heading to the prison hold. "Clu wanted to offer you an opportunity in the...lab."

An eyebrow rose. "For experimenting?"

"You'd be the first test subject for a special...upgrade." Skipper paused. "To enhance all five senses. Clu believes that Specials are capable of being more than they are."

Avery knew what this was about. Clu wanted any and all Specials on his side to be better than the average being of their kind. This kind of experimenting probably hasn't been attempted before so the System Administrator would prefer to test it on someone who wasn't on his side.

Plus it was well known that Avery had a weak mental barrier and sometimes curiosity and anger got the best of him. Of course he'd like to know more about this experiment, maybe even participate just to see what would happen.

That did not mean he was on Clu's side though.

"Clu just wants you to offer yourself up as a test subject." Skipper explained. "He figured that it'd interest you."

"I'm not switching sides."

Skipper brushed off the remark. "You don't have to - you only need to be willing for the experiment."

They'd stopped walking at some point. Avery thought long and hard about the Pros and Cons of each decision - yes or no.

The side that won out was pride...for now. "I'll think about it." Avery shrugged.

When Avery returned to the cell, he quickly realized his nameless ISO cellmate gone. He turned towards Skipper and raised a quizzical eyebrow easily seen through the force field.

The lieutenant just shrugged. "I wouldn't know." He admitted, as if reading his old friend's mind. "Handling ISOs isn't my duty."

Avery just pretended it didn't matter much and sat down, ignoring everyone and everything around him.

**3 Cycles Later...**

"You want me to be your lab rat." It was a statement, not a question.

Clu drummed his fingertips on the surface of a smooth table. "Yes, although it's not like I'd need your approval." He glanced at the Special. "It would be easier if you did agree."

Wow, that was...something. Avery glanced sideways at a boring, black wall. Secretly, Avery admired experiments; he enjoyed hanging out with Google on occasion during his free time just to see something new.

Tron always told him that his natural curiosity was dangerous. Regardless, that never stopped him...it still doesn't.

To agree or not agree… It'd be fun to put up a fight for the heck of it but he'd be less focused on the science. Plus he'd enjoy rubbing it in others' faces that he had better senses.

Eventually, one of the sides won out.

"Alright, deal." He said almost exasperatedly.

**...**

Reni's POV

She honestly, truly regretted leaving Avery behind. Obviously, she had to or she'd have been captured as well. But if there was some other way for both of them to escape, Reni would've taken the opportunity without hesitation.

Unfortunately, things don't work out like that...especially now. After Avery was captured, Reni took refuge with a small group of ISOs being smuggled into a neighboring City, Iodine.

They never made it to Iodine.

**...**

Avery's POV

"Here," A scientist handed Avery a vial of energy. "Drink this. You're going to need your strength for the experiment." He drains the glass and lets them hook him up to several machines.

Just after he entered the room, Avery was informed that he was the very first test subject to be trying this experiment so the results were unpredictable. He had no idea why he still wanted to be part of this but he figured his curiosity was what fueled him.

Plus any gained advantages for Avery would bring satisfaction to himself. Yeah, good answers. Plus the scientists were so confident of the outcome that they told Avery not to worry. "We know what we're doing." They claim.

Avery just relaxed on the table, he knew this was likely to get uncomfortable. It did.

The machines started to warm up and pumped a cold substance into him when another machine started to give him a tingling sensation all over. He gritted his teeth and squinted while the lights glared back at him.

The vibrations started getting stronger and more painful. He started groaning and clenching his fists. The machine hummed louder when the intensity was increased.

Without warning, Avery lost control and started screaming, his body convulsing on the table.

Lab workers struggled to hold him down and to keep the wires in place. "He's going critical!" One of the scientists shouted, eyeing his vitals screen with a frightened expression.

"Tie him down!" Another ordered.

They never got the chance to. Avery opened his eyes again, the eyeballs nearly popping out. And then he combusted. Pixels flew everywhere, scattering all over the floor, on top of equipment, and the majority of lab workers were covered in energy.

A few had to cover their mouths and bend over, some fled the room to escape the terrible sight permanently burned into their minds, others screamed.

Skipper came bursting into the room and stopped short. He stared at the horrid remains of his former friend and the clenched his jaw. This wasn't supposed to happen.

**...**

Reni's POV

She refused to look at anyone, or say anything. Never would she give anyone any satisfaction. For the majority of the time, Reni kept a blank expression, other times she'd wear that cocky smirk just to piss off her captors.

And not long after her capture, she was taken to Clu. And the first thing he did was smile.

Reni didn't look up, she didn't say anything. She just smirked at the floor, like she knew something he didn't. There were plenty of things he was oblivious to.

"I appreciate that you were able to join us." Clu said slowly.

Reni dropped her smirk, looked him boldly in the eye, and finally spoke. "Quit twisting everything around and just tell me what you want. I know you don't just bring Programs here for small talk."

"And what if I did?" Clu asked with a sly smile. "Does that bother you so?"

It did. Users, she wanted to strangle him. Hanging out with Con and Ken had never raised her tolerance or patience for anything. It really seemed to lower them.

"Where's Avery?" She demanded.

Clu's face noticeably fell. "He...attempted to escape. It was his own desperate stunts that led to his demise. There was nothing that could be done."

"Bullshit."

"I'm sorry?" Clu regarded Reni with a stern expression. "I value each and every Programs' life in this system. I'm doing what's best for the Specials and Basics."

"I don't believe you. Give me the details. I want proof!"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss it." Clu shot back. "Perhaps at a later time when things settle down."

"Screw you." She bit out through gritted teeth. Now she was the one pissed off. Reni hated how Clu managed to beat her at the game she'd managed to use against his own soldiers.

Well he'd won that round. Reni decided to pull the silent treatment. She knew it was childish but she hated Clu and his soldiers.

Unfortunately, Clu decided to remain silent as well, he just stared. It was creepy.

Two points to One. "Okay, just tell me what you want already!" Reni shouted impatiently.

"It's simple. I want your cooperation." Oh, that wise guy.

Reni curled her hands into fists. "And?"

Clu sighed. "Well I'd love to recruit you but I know that won't be an easy thing. I suppose it would be better to show you instead of tell." He paused to let that sink in. "Flynn and Tron have brainwashed you into thinking that the ISOs are special, harmless...innocent."

Reni narrowed her eyes. "I believe it from what I've seen and experience regarding them, not from what I was told or taught."

Clu raised an eyebrow. "And you never thought you were being deceived?" He didn't give her a chance to reply. "Believe it or not, I did what was best for the system. The ISOs spread nothing but corruption, attracted Grid Bugs, starting that Abraxas virus." He wrinkled his nose. "And Flynn thought they were special, so special that it was the only thing he focused on."

"Stop it!" Reni said. "He's not like that."

"Our Creator would have abandoned the system, abandoned us!" He continued, ignoring Reni's plea. "He was going to take the ISOs with him outside the Grid and never return. We're no longer important to him." Clu glared. "I had no other choice."

Reni squeezed her eyes shut. "There's always a choice."

"I could have stood by and let the Grid become a corrupted, forgotten wasteland," He spat. "Or do what I already have, to purge the potential threats and viruses from my system, maintain perfection, and keep Flynn from leaving us forever!"

Reni said nothing. She couldn't. There wasn't any way to argue against that with solid evidence. Only faith stood up against Clu's statement - and even that was starting to weaken.

She couldn't stop the questions from flooding her mind.

What if that's true? Would Flynn really abandon them? How potential of a threat were the ISOs? Did Clu use the best possible method of action? Did he really save the system?

And the biggest question: Whose side was Reni on?

She spent a lot of time thinking, mulling it over. Reni organized her thoughts and answered her personal questions as best she could. When Clu put it that way it sounded awfully convincing.

"Say...what if you're right?" She suggested. "What part would you want me to play in this?"

Clu sat down and folded his hands. "That's for you to decide. What part do you want to play in this?"

"I just want to do what's right." She whispered. "But I don't know what right anymore."

Clu sighed. "I can't make you believe what you don't want to." He replied. "It takes time to think about."

"I-I just want things to go back to the way they were. It was less complicated…" Reni admitted.

Clu studied the surface of the smooth table close by. "Things won't return to normal. But things can go to being better than it ever was." Clu drawled out. "That's my goal." He looked at Reni. "What about you?"

Reni pinched her lips together. Better, simpler life. That sounded good. Peaceful. "I'm in."

* * *

**I know I'm making it look like Skipper's jumping around everywhere. I'm kind of skipping around with the time. But he's a busy bee! I felt a little bad about killing off Avery (especially in a gruesome manner but remember, this fanfic is rated T), but considering that he was only mentioned once and was never thought about in the end, I figured it was one of the best ways to go. Besides, I've got way too many OC's. ;P  
******I can't promise regular updates either. My school's been known for the endless rigorous work. I just did some research and it turns out to be one of Minnesota's top 20 challenging High Schools. XP I think that's why my hair's going to grey when I'm in my twenties...****

****Again, feedback and reviews are always appreciated. Flames can and will be used to my advantage in chapters as I'm usually terrible at hating on people when I have no good reason.  
Up next, *Drum roll* I'll be going into detail about how Beck and Ally met. I noticed a bit of the timeline is messed up so I'll have to revise it a little. I'll call it the "True story" ;)  
TRON LIVES!****


	9. Rainbow Bandits

**Greetings, Programs! Happy Tron Tuesday, everyone. I just want to say right now that it feels good to post another chapter because that means I'm another Chapter closer to the last two additions I'll make to this "Book" as well as the new series I'll work on. I won't talk anymore about that though...it's a surprise! Anyway, here's chapter nine: Rainbow Bandits (Yes, that's its name). Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Rainbow Bandits**

Ally's POV

Ally closed her bike into a baton and pocketed it. She took a brief moment to admire the faint green glow of the City – it looked fairly welcoming, but Ally recently learned firsthand that looks can be deceiving. She clenched her jaw and pushed the negative thoughts away. She didn't need that now.

She'd came here as a refugee looking for a fresh start. Despite what she'd told Liz and Evelyn before she left, she wasn't planning on contacting them for quite a while from now. She needed time away from this to get her bearings, live a more peaceful life for a while. Then she could start thinking about rejoining the forces against Clu.

She knew she was being selfish, thinking that but her mind and body was too tired to think about that. Alpha walked past the borders and into the City limits. She went through the plans in her head.

Step one: Get a job.  
Step two: Find a place to live (long-term)!  
Step three: STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!

Ally thought about potential jobs. She could work as part of the police force…but she shot the idea down when she remembered that Clu was taking over the Grid and therefore the security Programs would answer directly to him.

That left her opportunities to either become a medic or a DJ. She thought long and hard about it. Because back in Tron City she'd decided to work with music, she hadn't received full training to work in a hospital. Her best bet was what she was most experienced with, she decided.

"Excuse me," She stopped a random Program in the street, he eyed her suspiciously. Ally ignored his rudeness. "Do you know where the nearest club is?"

"Are you stupid or something?" He asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "It's a few blocks down, then you take a right. You can't miss it." Without another word, he continued on his way.

"Well thanks," She muttered. "Oh, not a problem; I'm so kind and care about others." She said, pretending to be a better version of the guy she'd just spoken to. "Boys." She muttered in distaste. "Why do they always have to be rude, or crybabies, or cocky?!" She kicked a stone that ricocheted off a wall and hit her in the forehead. "Ow!"

She grumbled incoherently and followed the guy's directions. When Ally arrived, she assessed the exterior of the building and decided it was worth looking at. She found that it wasn't too trashy or run-down, which is a big bonus for her if she got the job.

Ally walked over to the bar and cleared her throat. "Is there any way I can speak to the manager?" She asked politely.

The preoccupied bartender turned to face Ally – it was an exceptionally buff lady who held an energy smoke between her teeth while cleaning a glass. She put the cup where it belonged and pulled the energy cigarette out of her mouth and held it casually between her fingers. She blew out a puff of vapor. "You're looking at her." She said in a scratchy, accented voice that made it obvious the Program had smoked over a long period of time. "What can I help you with?"

Ally struggled to speak properly in front of the intimidating woman, which was ridiculous. She'd spent the majority of the other night facing off several squads of black guards in defense of the ISOs. This should be easy! But it wasn't.

She took a deep breath, managing not the choke on the smoke puffed in her direction. "I'm looking for a job." She stated simply, straight to the point.

The bartender and apparent manager took another swig of smoky energy and coughed into her fist for a few nanos. "Programming?" She asked.

"Music." Ally replied. "I'm decent with most genres," She paused. "I only have trouble with the slower music."

The manager cackled. "The first thing you'll learn is there's no romantic music in here." She smirked. "It's supposed to be fast-paced and-" She took another swig of her cigarette, "Energizing."

Ally nodded, to show she was absorbing every bit of information the manager told her. "Yes, ma'am." She said in a way that wasn't sarcastic but not genuine or serious either.

The manager let out another dry and scratchy laugh. "I like you." She inhaled deeply from her cigarette, flicked away the now-drained energy wrap and blew her smoke in Ally's face, who didn't cough. "You start this evening." It wasn't a question, it was an order. She'd gotten the job.

Ally nodded firmly with a small smile and turned to leave when the bartender/manager called out to her. "You're new here, aren't you?" _She takes the opportunity to ask now instead of earlier?_ Nonetheless, Ally nods again. The manager leans onto the counter speaking slow and carefully. "Mind the Crims – they're bad news." She pauses. "And call me Alyss."

With that, Ally strides out of the club and inhales the fresh air deeply. While getting the smoke out of her system, she thought about what Alyss said. _Crims? As in Criminals? What the heck was she talking about?_ She rolled her eyes from the cryptic warning the club manager gave her.

She starts at a brisk and clipped pace down the street as she starts picking apart the warning about the so called Crims. She wasn't told to avoid them, but judging from her serious tone and choice of words, they weren't the best people to hang out with. It most likely meant they were unavoidable. Ally wasn't sure what the word Crim was but either it was a slang term for criminal or it was a gangster group.

_Mind the Crims?_ Ally wondered what that was supposed to mean. _Be careful? Avoid them if possible? Do whatever they want so they don't bother anyone?_

She sighed and shook her head. Maybe she'd ask around later but for now, Ally wanted to find an apartment. That was the next step in her priorities. She can think about cryptic warnings later.

…

About three PectroCycles later, if Ally had to guess, she'd finally succeeded in getting an apartment. THREE PECTROCYCLES! The Programs here were so mean or picky, or leery. Ally shuddered. She was starting to consider that staying at Neon should be more temporary.

On the brighter side, the City can be quite beautiful and bearable if one knew where to look. She'd come across the sea on one side of the City. Poisoned – one of Clu's first actions against the ISOs to stop their production but it wasn't unsafe to swim in, she'd found. While exploring, she'd come across a very tall building along with a hidden staircase inside.

How she might've found that, one may ask? Well, a gang may or may not have noticed her, she may or may not have fought back, and they may or may not have chased her. In her panic to hide, she'd discovered the hidden door and went inside.

Ally sprinted up the long, long staircase until she found herself on the rooftop. The view was…breathtaking. She didn't mind staying up there a while to wait out the gang until they give up and leave. She wouldn't mind that at all.

In fact, Ally wished she didn't have to leave this spot to go to work. She could stay up here forever…if she could. She sighed and got to her feet. Strolling down the steps, she figured it's always possible to come back when her shift was done.

Ally opened the door and stepped out. "Hey you," Shoot. She started running. "Come back here! We're not finished with you." Of course they'd have known she was still around. It's not like she was capable of disappearing into thin air when she rounds a corner.

She glanced backwards; two of them were hot on her trail…and gaining. Ally cursed and turned down another street. Maybe if she managed to zig-zag sharply for a bit, she could gain more ground. Looking back again, she noticed one of the two wasn't in sight.

She frowned and turned to face in front again and her eyes widened. She crashed right into the other guy. Crap.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

Instinctively, Ally tried pulling away but he tightened his grip on her arm. "None of your business." She snapped. "Now let me go."

The other Program that was chasing her laughed. "I think you're about to become our business." He smirked. She kicked him in the stomach and twisted her arm around to break out of the other's grip but he saw it coming. "Someone's got fire in them." He coughed. "I think you need to be taught a lesson or two."

He grabbed her hair and pulled her into an alley. She opened her mouth to let out a scream, a loud one. It only made them laugh. "No one's going to save you, girl." He grinned and reached out to stroke her circuit.

Ally clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. Clearly it was a bad idea to travel alone. Why didn't she just let Liz or Courtney tag along with her? She could've even looked for Avery and Reni. But no, she just had to be dramatically prideful and go out on her own like a stupid person.

She noticed another Program entering the alley, a typical gangster. Ally quickly averted her eyes. She hated gangsters. They were nothing but trouble and she refused to look at them the same way again. Both Programs were suddenly pulled off of her and she looked up at the third Program.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, helping her up.

She stared at him, surprised. "I- no…thank you."

He smiled. "Sure, anything for a damsel in distress."

That sounded so random yet appropriate that Ally couldn't help but smile from the humor.

He guided her out of the alley. "So where are you heading?"

She fixed him with a gaze and furrowed her eyebrows. "You could be a murderer for all I know." Ally pointed out. "I don't usually share personal facts with strangers."

He nodded slowly. "I can respect that."

Ally was silent until it was clear that he wasn't planning on hurting her – he would've already done it if he intended to. "Alright fine." She gave in. "I work at the club as a DJ."

"Which club?" He asks.

"Umm…" She didn't remember the name. "All I know is I work for Alyss."

Her savior smirks. "She's tough on her new employees. Be careful around her."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"I haven't seen you around before." He muses.

Ally shrugs. "Maybe that's because this cycle's the first time I've ever been here."

Her savior turns towards her so quickly she's startled and backs up. He takes a step forward when she takes another step back. They keep doing that until Ally's pressed back against a wall and he's standing so close he could be touching her but he wasn't.

He held such intensity in his dark brown eyes it was both frightening and captivating. "You need to be careful around here." He whispers. "It's dangerous."

Ally stared into his deep eyes. "I've been getting a lot about that – something about avoiding the Crims." He noticeably tenses up at that and steps away.

"Yeah," He replies. "That's a good idea."

"Who are the Crims anyway?" Ally asks. "Are they a gang or something?"

There was flash of an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes and he looks at her again with that intense look. "The Crims are a very dangerous group of Programs – ruthless and do not discriminate their victims."

Oh, that definitely wasn't something good to hear on any Cycle, especially when she was already having a bad time.

She started walking again and he stayed beside her, yet managing a respectful distance after the serious conversation. Ally knew it was crazy but she felt more secure in his presence that wasn't just warding off bad Programs, but also any fears she had.

They stopped at the Club entrance of where she worked. "Rainbow Bandit." He said suddenly.

Ally looked at him. "What?"

He pointed at the sign hovering over the Club's entrance. "That's the name of Alyss's Club." He gave her a quick smile and turned to leave.

"Wait." He stopped. Ally chewed on her bottom lip. "What's your name?"

He was silent for a while, seeming to decide whether he should share or not. "My name's Beck." He said quietly.

"It was nice to meet you, Beck." Ally said politely. He didn't say anything, just rezzed a lightcycle and drove off.

Not wanting to think about Beck anymore, she turned and walked into the Rainbow Bandit Club. It was kind of a funny name to her and she couldn't suppress the amused smirk.

Alyss, standing behind the counter as always, looked up and immediately caught Ally's eye. She raised an eyebrow and beckoned her new employee over. "Yes," Ally asked when she approached her new boss.

The manager deeply inhaled smoke from her cigarette and blew smoke in Ally's face. "You're late." She rasped. "Do you have a habit of silently rebelling?"

Ally clenched her fists. She had half a mind to go and tell her exactly what happened to her that caused the hindrance. But that wouldn't change the fact that she was late. "No, ma'am," She replied. "I rebel to extremes or nothing. I deeply apologize for being late; I'll see to never intentionally do so."

Alyss smirked. "Nah, I know you're not the type of person to be late on purpose." She took a swig of her cigarette. "So tell me what happened."

"I got chased around by some punks." Ally said curtly.

Alyss nodded. "And I see you got away unscathed." The boss was thoroughly examining Ally's face for any sudden change in behavior. She stuck the rolled up energy between and picked up a glass and rag. "Are you going to stand there the whole time?" She asked, not moving her jaw while speaking or she'd lose hold of her cigarette.

Clearly dismissed, Ally turned and walked over to the music set while pulling out her favorite pair of sunglasses. She put them on and leaned over the equipment, taking the place of the other DJ that could finally leave his shift.

Pursing her lips, Ally started fiddling with the pace of the beat, slowing it down just a tiny bit while raising the pitch of the music. What made her excellent with music was the fact she liked to experiment and find new ways to improve things if possible.

As the Micros turned to Pectros, Ally noticed that the Programs seemed to be more into infrequent beats and a little combination of high and low pitches. For her, the first couple shifts are the hardest because she's trying to figure out what's best for the Programs based on their body language, how they dance, how long they're dancing, and then if the people who aren't dancing are at least bobbing their heads to the music.

Just when Ally thought she was beginning to get the hang of it, her shift ended and another DJ took her place. She sat down at the bar with Alyss and grabbed a shot of energy to refresh herself.

"That was an interesting jam." Alyss commented, handing her the glass. "What's it called?"

Ally shrugged. "I made it up." She smiled wryly. "I'm not exactly the type that plays by the same rules as other DJ's."

Alyss coughed and took a swig of her cigarette. "Clearly." She rasped, but the corners of her lips twitched.

If Ally didn't know any better, she'd assume that Alyss was quite proud of herself for hiring a new DJ. But that was just an educated guess. She felt eyes on her and she turned to watch Beck stroll into the club. She noticed several observant Programs looking at him warily and took note of it.

The two locked eyes and he walked over to the empty stool next to her. Ally noticed Alyss quickly lighting another cigarette while fixing her with an intense look that looked a bit more demanding and shocked than _what the heck_.

"Ally." She said to Beck.

He looked at her with a confused look while Alyss fixed him a drink. Clearly he'd been here enough times to have a usual order. "What?"

"I never told you my name." She explained. "My name is Ally." She held out her hand to shake, which Beck hesitantly took. Ally looked at Alyss to notice the cutthroat motion – a gesture to stop. She furrowed her eyebrows at her boss, who quickly stopped the motion and casually went back to cleaning glasses when Beck looked over to see what had Ally's attention.

Ally made the mental note to check in with her boss later regarding what she was trying to stop Ally from doing. Beck quickly downed his glass and turned back to Ally. "So how was the first shift?" He asked.

She shrugged. "A bit difficult considering I had to adjust my work to what fit the crowd best."

He nodded. "Sounds difficult."

"Well I think I started getting the hang of it near the end of my shift."

Alyss was smoking her cigarette out faster than usual and the smoke was getting to be too much for Ally. If she had to guess, it looked an awful lot like Alyss was nervous. "I need to get out for a while." She stood up and headed for the exit and Beck followed.

When they were outside, he asked a question that sounded like it bugged him for a while. "So what made you move to Neon, Ally?"

Shoot. The number one question she wanted to avoid. She didn't want to be asked that after all of what happened earlier. She'd had enough stress and danger to last her a lifetime. "I – um…well why do you want to know?" She tried to sound snappy but it came out shaky and made her sound nervous.

Beck furrowed his eyebrows at her. "It was out of curiosity." He turned so his whole body was facing her. "To me it almost sounds like you got into some trouble."

She sighed and sat down on the nearest bench, defeated. "Yeah, you could say that." She rubbed her upper arm. "It seems like I'm getting into nothing but trouble lately."

He looked down at the ground for a while, seeming to think hard. Beck sighed and sat down onto the bench next to her. "I can't say you're going to be avoiding trouble that easily." He said cryptically.

"Just how often do the Crims tend to bother people?" She asked, noticing him tense up once more from the question.

"It depends on their mood, I guess." He shrugs. "They're not a small group so people tend to bump into a member or two every other cycle."

Ally makes a face and looks down. "They…don't terrorize people all that often, do they?"

Beck sighs, "I don't know for sure, Ally."

Wow, the way he said her name. Ally wished it always sounded like that when people spoke to her. Her name sounded like more than just a designation, than identity but as who she was underneath, what she could potentially become.

She sighed. _Where have you been all my life?_

Beck frowned at her. "What was that?" Wait. No, he wasn't frowning – he was surprised.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, shoot." She tried to hide her embarrassment. "Did I really say that out loud?"

He laughed, trying but failing to hide embarrassment as well. "It's fine, really. I just…don't hear that a lot coming from others."

She laughs with him to save themselves the severe awkwardness of the situation. They couldn't laugh forever though…

"You know," Ally starts talking again, "If I went back in time and told myself that I'd meet a guy that didn't make me wanna tear my hair out, I would've laughed my insides out."

Beck raises an eyebrow. "A guy?"

She shrugs, "Well now that you mention it, I suppose it could be anyone. All I knew were crazy or annoying Programs."

"I'm not crazy?" Beck mocks disappointment. "Well I suppose if you want me to, I could change that-"

"No!" Ally interrupts him, "Please, please, I beg you, please don't." She giggles between words.

He smirks. "I'm just saying I can always change in favor of what you're used to. You know it's more comforting when a Program is around familiar people or objects."

"I guess I'll have to adapt to a new environment then." She smiles. "This is nothing, seriously; I've seen worse."

Judging from how quickly Beck's expression changed from playful back to guarded and concerned, Ally knew he was tempted to ask about what she endured. She had to dodge the question before it was asked because Beck looked like a very persistent Program.

"So, uh…what's your life like here?" She quickly tried to change the subject.

Beck wasn't fooled and his expression promised to discuss the previous topic later. He folded his arms. "I'll tell you about my life if you tell me yours."

Ally shrugged. "Okay, fine." She leaned back into the bench and thought for a moment. "Well, some of my friends were close to Flynn and Tron and enjoyed taking advantage of User holidays." She paused again, thinking.

Beck snorted, "Sounds like you're from Tron City."

"I was." She was blunt.

He eyed her warily. "Heard there's some bad things going down over there right now."

She pressed her lips together tightly, "Yeah, that's why I left." She chuckled nervously. "You know, gang trouble over there wasn't so good either; and assuming I run into the Crims at some point, I could do a little comparison."

"Assuming they let you live," Beck replied stiffly, "At least the gangs in Tron City were regulated." He looked down. "Here, we practically own the place."

"What was that?" Ally asked, staring at him. She hoped she heard him wrong.

Beck immediately noticed the look on her face. "I-I mean, there's no security forces around here. The City belongs to the people – the Citizens."

Just from his slip, Ally noticed he was hiding something crucially important from her. He was dangerous but she reminded herself that if he was going to hurt her, he would've done so a long time ago. It was very uncommon for gangsters to gain the trust of their victims only to betray them – they usually had them when they were most vulnerable.

Plus, Beck didn't appear to have any intentions of harming her, he was just casually sitting by her side…on the same bench. His hands resting on the surface of the bench on either side of his torso.

They looked like they'd been worked often, used to the point of being taken for granted yet they didn't look rough. She knew they couldn't possibly be soft but maybe something in between.

She wanted to feel them – to know how they're used, to see the new potential ways he could possibly use them. Ally wanted to touch those hands with hers, to know what they felt like on her face…

She blinked. _What?_ Ally wanted to slap herself for so much as thinking those stupid thoughts. She'd just met him – a potentially dangerous Program (or maybe a troublemaker) and she wants to feel his hands on her face? Ally snorted.

Beck seemed to misperceive her sounds. "You don't believe me?" He didn't look offended, but certainly not angry or annoyed either. More…studious, scrutinizing.

Ally shook her head. "No, no, it's not that it's just-" She felt her face heat up, "I was thinking."

He raised an eyebrow. "About?"

_About your hands on my face…_ "About what job you might have." She lied through her teeth.

Beck scowled at a building across the street, choosing his words carefully when replying, "I fight against most gangs."

"Most?" Ally questioned, "How's that a job?"

"Well some of the gangs are unstoppable so there's no point fighting those guys," He pauses, how would that be a job? "There's gotta be someone to fight."

"That's true," Ally says, absorbing what he tells her. "And I take it the Crims are the unstoppable group?"

"Yeah," Beck replies, "There's no fighting the Crims."

…

Beck's POV

Beck knew how stupid and selfish it was of him to get close to Ally, to risk exposing her to the true horrors of Neon: the very group of Programs those Citizens feared, the gang he was part of. He saw the look on her face when he almost exposed himself for what he truly was: a criminal.

She'd detest him, resent even. He knew that she knew he was harmless but exposing that truth could change her opinion about him forever. Beck knew he shouldn't care about how she thinks of him – he doesn't mind anyone else's opinion, but can't hide the fact from himself that this new Program was charming him.

He didn't want to lose the curious, innocent girl that could brighten up his cycles. Her grace and attitude was endearing and captivating, those cobalt blue eyes enchanting, her full lips tempting him.

They looked so soft and plump and he wondered if that's what they felt like if he touched them, if he kissed them. He focused his gaze away from her and onto something else, anything but her – especially those eyes. Beck felt that if he stared into them too long, he could get lost in the trance they put him in.

She was a peculiar woman though, no doubt about it. Beck wanted to know about all the conflict she faced in Tron City, what troubled her so much about the past, what she truly thought about him. But he went for a much easier question.

"So…have you found anything interesting here in the City so far?" He turned and gazed into those bright blue eyes of hers. Oh, yes, he could stay like that forever.

Ally looked quite thoughtful from the question. "Well, I suppose I did come across a thing or two that says a million things about this City's true beauty." She smiled.

"Show me what you think about this City's beauty." Beck grinned. "I want to see how you perceive your surroundings."

Ally jumped to her feet and pulled out a lightcycle. "Well if you say so," She rezzed her bike and drove off. Beck pulled out his own baton and followed close behind her. After less than a Micro of Driving and nearing the border of the City, Beck had a pretty good idea of where she was heading – the Sea of Simulation.

Eventually she closed her bike back into a baton and started running the rest of the way. Beck supposed they were close enough to go on foot and did the same. "So what sort of beauty do you see in the Sea?" He asked when they'd arrived.

Ally smiled and turned to face Beck. Then she started to lean backwards…

His eyes widened and he lunged to catch her but she went tumbling into the water. "Are you crazy?!" He asked when she'd surprisingly resurfaced. "You're going to be poisoned!"

She laughed and started floating on her back. "Relax, that's just a rumor to keep Programs away. It only impacts the ISO production – it can't hurt you. In fact, it's quite refreshing in here." She closed her eyes and relished at the feeling of the water licking her entire body.

Beck shook his head. "You're bonkers." He muttered.

"Come join me." She urged, "It's fun; trust me."

Beck snorted, "Looks anything but fun to me."

"But you haven't even got in yet." She points out.

Wow, she knows how to wield her facts around and Ally can make swimming look extremely tempting. But, "I…" Beck bit his lip, "I can't swim."

One of the corners of Ally's lips quirk upwards in a reassuring manner, "I'll teach you. Just close your eyes and jump." When jumps off a cliff, would you do the same thing? If that person was still alive to urge one to do it too, would that impact the ultimate decision further?

Beck hesitated, then jumped off the edge. He felt the cold, suffocating sting of water all around his body. Beck wanted to breathe but all around him was water, he started to panic, to thrash around and reach the surface.

A dainty hand clasped itself around Beck's wrist and yanked him to the surface. He coughed and spluttered until he could breathe properly again. "Next time you urge me to do something like that again, I'm just going to turn and run away."

Ally laughed. Oh, that was music to Beck's water-filled ears. It was so light and airy, but not too exaggerated in that fashion. She also smiled when she laughed – it made her look prettier…if that was possible.

"Sorry, I should've thoroughly explained to you in great detail of what your first experience in water would be like." She smirked at him. "This would potentially last about 10 Micros-"

"TEN?" He asked, disbelieving.

She rolls her eyes. "Give or take." She elaborates. "Now start kicking your legs. Believe it or not, I can't hold you above water by myself for forever." Beck starts to work his limbs to keep himself afloat. "That's it, now start paddling your arms around to steer and add extra force to keep above the surface." As Beck starts to adjust to being in the water, Ally starts to loosen her hold on him, allowing Beck more and more of his body mass to deal with. "Good."

Ally pulls her hands away from him completely. "There, see? You're swimming all by yourself." She grins. "Congratulations, you've successfully managed yourself in water in a quarter of the time I had in my first experience. But try this out." She ducks under the surface and paddling underwater.

Beck takes a deep breath and follows suit. He finds the experience to be quite enjoyable as the water caresses his entire body and face. He's gasping and breathing hard when he comes back up for air.

"So, how'd you learn how to swim on your first time?" Beck asked when Ally resurfaces, "What led up to that anyway?"

Her smile turns into something a bit more forced and…embarrassed? Ally appeared to be fighting a blush creeping into her cheeks. "Um…no comment."

Beck smirks, unsuccessfully trying to appear serious and reassuring. "Come on, just tell me. I promise not to judge."

"No," Ally says, giggling.

"I'll be your best friend." He promised both playfully and seriously.

Her face shifts into something more wondrous and admiring. "Really?"

"Of course,"

"Okay, well…" She bit her lip. "It's really embarrassing." Beck manages to wipe his face clean of emotion and patiently waits for her story. "I made a bet with a friend of mine: Ace. I told him that he wouldn't be able to prank Tron on what the Users call "April Fool's Day." And as it turns out, he managed without much trouble." Ally smirks. "And the loser of the bet was to spend an entire PectroCycle in the Sea of Simulation."

"And how did that go?" Beck teasingly asked, unable to hide the smirk of amusement.

Ally pursed her lips. "Horrible. I almost drowned because I didn't know how to swim at first. In fact, I learned the hard way and almost passed out from lack of air." She winced. "And topping off that horrible experience with Ace standing on shore, laughing his ass off."

Beck raised an eyebrow. "And how did all that lead to you actually enjoying swimming?"

Ally smiles, "That's actually an excellent question. I suppose I should hate it but at the time it felt so good feeling water against my body so I always came back for more. I guess after the first couple of times I officially became passionate about it."

"It does actually feel nice." Beck says, "But uh…how do we get out?"

Ally paused, face blank. "Uhhh…"

He squeezes his eyes shut and sighs. "You didn't think about this before?"

Her smile comes back and she laughs. "Relax, the ladder's just over there." Ally points at it, "Every dock has one in case of…complications." She bites her lip to keep herself from laughing. "You didn't know that?"

"Not really, since I don't work anywhere near water…or knew how to swim." Beck answers as he starts swimming over to the ladder after Ally.

She climbs up first and offers her hand when he nears the top. He eyes it for a moment and Ally smiles. "It's okay, it's just a hand."

_Right, just a hand. Nothing more._ Beck wraps his hand around hers and she helps him up. He notices her staring at their clasped hands and when she looks back up, sees him staring at her. Ally quickly drops his hand and backs away.

"There…was one other place that caught my attention." She speaks up, "Ironically, I came across it when I was running away from the gang that you rescued me from." Ally turns and starts jogging in the direction of the tallest building in the City, which was only a few blocks away.

She stops just beside one of its walls and runs her hand over it. Beck raises an eyebrow. Then she finds the secret door and opens it. "You're very perceptive." Beck smiles, and follows her inside. "I never would've guessed there was a secret entrance."

"Well there is," Ally winks at him and starts sprinting up the stairs. "Shut the door behind you."

They go through another door at the top of the stairs. Ally opens it and steps through after him. Beck's breath catches when he sees the extraordinary view of Neon and even some of the neighboring Cities: Arsenic, Beryllium, and Iodine.

"So, what do you think?" Ally sits on the edge of the building and starts wringing out her hair, watching his face while waiting for an answer.

"I- well, it's impressive." Beck admits, tearing his eyes from the view and towards an even better one. Ally looked good with her hair wet.

Below, they heard a curse and shouting following the colorful words. Confuse, Ally turns around and gazes down, realizing that she'd dripped water down onto a Program below, a now angry Program.

"Hey! I see you two up there! Come down so I can kick your asses!"

Ally covers her mouth and steps away from the side of the roof, her shoulders shaking as she tried to hold back her laughter. Beck however, made no such attempt, which ended up encouraging Ally to laugh even harder. "I think someone's having a bad cycle." Beck remarks when he gets his breath back.

Ally glances back and notices the Program down below, who was now throwing objects at the building. And then some Programs exited the building to chase him away. "Poor guy," Ally comments, "I feel bad for upsetting him."

Beck shrugs. "Most Programs around here are much worse."

She raises an eyebrow. "After meeting you and Alyss, I find that difficult to believe."

"Surely you've talked to more Programs than just us." Beck replies.

Ally's silent for a bit. "Yeah, they're jerks."

"Don't value their opinions." Beck sat down and leaned back against a wall.

She raises an eyebrow at him, "Since when are you the one to conjure words of wisdom?"

"When people are jerks to you." He replies easily.

Ally sits down next to him and he wraps his arm around her.

"You never held up your end of our little bargain." She points out.

Beck turns to her, not removing his arm. "What?"

"I told you about my life, now tell me about yours."

So he did, at least to a certain extent. "I live it rough with a bunch of other Programs that tend to get into a bit of trouble, but we ward off other gangs that threaten the City. But sometimes they get a bit…daring and I usually get caught up in it."

"Sounds exciting," Ally comments, "And are you guys well known?"

Beck pauses, and then "Yeah, the Programs know who we are."

She nods and leans into him.

…

Ally's POV

"Okay, what was with the hand gesture when I talked with Beck? He's a perfect gentleman." Ally says.

Alyss, coughs into her hand and chuckles. "Oh, sweetheart, of course Beck's a charming young man. It's not him I'm worried about. It's you." She pokes her finger into Ally's chest. "You're very perceptive of your surroundings, but blind."

She furrows her eyebrows. "Who are the Crims?"

"A gang."

"Yeah, I got that down." Ally replies, "But who are they really?"

Alyss looks at Ally with a raised eyebrow. "As it so happens, you've already run into a member or two of the group. Just keep in mind that not all of them have the nasty habit of terrorizing Programs every time they encounter one."

Ally frowns. "Well no, of course not. Otherwise the Citizens of Neon would be so afraid that they'd rally against the gang and kick them out of the City."

Alyss slams her hand down on the counter so suddenly it startles Ally. "Damn it, girl, you're missing the point!" She snaps, deeply inhaling through her cigarette and flicking it away. She exhaled the smoke through her nose, ran a hand over her hair and scowled. "Like I just said: you're blind to the Programs around you!"

"I don't understand what you-" Ally starts but Alyss doesn't have it.

"Oh Users, I could be a Crim for all you know! Maybe to you I'd pass as Kevin Flynn's Mother!"

Ouch. Alyss knew how to offend a Program.

"Could you say anything other than cryptic hints about this blasted City?" Ally retorted. "Help me not be blind?"

Alyss sighed and turned away, lighting another smoke. "You're already beyond any help."

She huffed and stormed out of the club. Ally wasn't hopeless, she wasn't blind. Clenching her fists, she kicked the wall of a building in a brief fit of rage. Pain shot up her leg and she yelped, clutching her foot and hopping on the other. Despite that, she for sure wasn't beyond anyone's help.

"I have to wonder what led up to you hurting yourself." A very familiar voice drawled out, amused. Ally whirled around with a hand on her hip.

"It's not nice to sneak up on people." She admonishes him. Technically, they were best friends, as Beck promised for sharing each other's secrets. On top of that, they'd been hanging out frequently for the past four Cycles and have argued but never exceeded playfulness.

"Seriously though, what was that all about?" He gestures to her foot.

Ally sighs, "Alyss is just cranky and thinks I don't know a Crim when I see one."

Beck rubbed the back of his neck, "Well I don't think you've run into a sadistic one then."

She was silent for a while so Beck wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they walked together to their building. Climbing to the roof was slower than usual as they walked the whole time.

And when Ally got to the roof, shutting the door behind them, Beck placed his hands on either side of her face and leaned in to kiss her.

She froze up when their lips made contact – Ally had never kissed anyone before so it was new to her. She wasn't sure about Beck though.

Ally pulled back for air, and Beck moved in for another kiss but she buried her face into his shoulder. "Too fast," She murmured. "I haven't done this sort of thing before."

He fell back to patting her shoulder and they turned to look out into the distant Cities. The view had never gotten old for them.

Ally elbowed him in the side gently. "Hey, wanna try a different look?"

The question was strange enough to tug him away from the sight and to look at her in surprise and confusion. "Why?" He asked, "Is something wrong with my looks?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, I just thought it'd be fun to experiment with appearances a bit. I've done it a lot in the past…" She looks down and an almost melancholy look crosses her face as she remembers why she'd done it in the first place.

"I'll try it," Beck's voice brings her back to the present and she smiles.

Going straight for the disk, Beck almost reacts to her move as an attack but quickly forces himself to keep still. It wouldn't help their friendship if he attacked her for no good reason.

Ally pokes around the menus for outfits and then one catches her eye. It was listed as his programmed attire at the time of his creation. She selected it and touched up on the outfit with a few extra circuit lines to personalize him in her own way. She smiled when that was done and moved onto his messy, flattened hair.

Running her finger through it, Ally thought about the possible ways it could be styled. She thinks back to how Ace liked his hair – it was much longer than Beck's but it was spikey and loose around his head in a shaggy way.

Spikey…spikey…

Ally smiled and started layering the strands towards the front of his head and spiking it up a bit. Then she steps back, observes and nods her approval. "I like that," She says, and twirls her finger as a gesture for him to turn around.

Beck looks at himself at the reflective walls at first with a blank expression but then starts admiring the details of his new appearance – his hair, the new circuits on his old outfit. "It's great," He says genuinely.

Ally smiles at the way he said it – not an opinion like she put it, but he talked as if there wasn't any question about it, that it wasn't anything short of being great.

She steps closer and places a hand on her hip. "You should look like that more often," Ally pulls a loose strand back into place on his head and he leans in to kiss her. This time she doesn't pull away.

…

Beck's POV

Over the last 19 Cycles Beck had known Ally, he could no longer deny anything about her. She was smart, enchanting, and did things to him that no other Program could dream of achieving.

She was his angel, as Users would put it; kissing her was like tasting how he'd imagine the sun to look like – to feel. And Ally was making him go softer than he already was, making him not only feel like he was no longer Crim material, but truly wasn't.

He could no longer deny that he didn't belong with that group anymore.

…

Ally's POV

She wasn't blind. Ally knew she could see everything perfectly. Laying down on her bed and closing her eyes, she thought about Alyss. That chain smoker couldn't possibly know that Ally saw and understood everything perfectly. Though she never encountered a cruel Crim of the sort, she had no doubt that she'd met one.

Ally had also made a legit friend: Beck. She wasn't sure if Alyss counted. But Beck was so sweet and gentle and romantic, despite his lack of experience with socializing. But still, it was clear he could be quite affectionate under that armor of that mysterious aura of his.

She thought about what he'd told her about himself. How he was part of a group that fights other gangs that tend to terrorize the people. It was kind of funny how he put it that way instead of saying him and his pals don't defend the innocent.

Unless they actually don't defend the innocent.

"_You need to be careful around here." He whispers. "It's dangerous."_

"_The Crims are a very dangerous group of Programs – ruthless and do not discriminate their victims."_

"_My name is Ally." She held out her hand to shake, which Beck hesitantly took. Ally looked at Alyss to notice the cutthroat motion – a gesture to stop. She furrowed her eyebrows at her boss, who quickly stopped the motion and casually went back to cleaning glasses when Beck looked over to see what had Ally's attention._

_Beck replied stiffly, "At least the gangs in Tron City were regulated." He looked down. "Here, we practically own the place."_

"_There's no fighting the Crims."_

"_I live it rough with a bunch of other Programs that tend to get into a bit of trouble, but we ward off other gangs that threaten the City. But sometimes they get a bit…daring and I usually get caught up in it."_

"_Sounds exciting," Ally comments, "And are you guys well known?"_

_Beck pauses, and then "Yeah, the Programs know who we are."_

_Alyss looks at Ally with a raised eyebrow. "As it so happens, you've already run into a member or two of the group. Just keep in mind that not all of them have the nasty habit of terrorizing Programs every time they encounter one."_

_Ally sighs, "Alyss is just cranky and thinks I don't know a Crim when I see one."_

_Beck rubbed the back of his neck, "Well I don't think you've run into a sadistic one then."_

It clicked in her head. Beck never directly said it but he implied that he was part of a gang that tended to get into trouble and fought off other gangs that threatened the City's power. They were well known too.

Alyss had been trying to warn Ally not to introduce herself to Beck because even though he was a perfect gentleman, the group he was part of tended to rope him into their problems.

She remembers the wary looks Beck got whenever he walked around in public, how he implied that not all Crims were sadistic or enjoyed hurting other Programs.

Ally's eyes snapped open and she sat up.

She had finally realized the big reason behind all of it. _Beck's a Crim._

Ally jumps out of bed, grabs her lightcycle and heads outside. Arriving at the Rainbow Bandit, she closes her bike into a baton and heads into the club. Sitting down at the bar, she locks eyes with Alyss, who never seemed to take a break from working or smoking cigarettes.

As it so happens, sleep wasn't a necessary thing for a Program, just an effective way to save energy and refresh their internal code.

The manager takes a long drag and exhales. "Judging from the look on your face, I'm assuming you've finally figured it out." Ally doesn't reply. "Let me just say this, okay? Beck's not a bad person, I'd bet you my own disk that every other girl in this club dreams of being with him but there is that one problem."

"The Crims tend to rope him into their troubles." Ally whispers.

Alyss nods. "That's right. And everyone knows Beck doesn't belong with them but he doesn't really have good choices available to him."

"What do you mean?"

Alyss inhales deeply through her cigarette. "Once you join their gang, there's no going back. No Program flakes out of the group and lives. They tend to plan big bad things to ward off rival gangs and refresh the fear of Programs here." She shook her head. "If he left, they'd hunt him down past the borders of the Grid to derez him." Alyss sighs, "Once a Crim, always a Crim."

She looks up and past Ally, raising an eyebrow. "Well what do you know?" She drawls out, "You know, giving undetailed explanations to questions doesn't help to keep secrets, Beck." Alyss jerks a thumb in Ally's direction, "She knows everything."

Ally turns to greet Beck with a blank gaze. Of course her feelings never changed with him, he'd been honest with her about everything except the group he was part of that threatened to make him look like something he wasn't.

"I figured that." Beck replied, glancing around nervously.

Alyss seems to notice. "What in User's name happened?" She asked, surprised. "You never cause trouble with anyone."

"I…uh, well." He looks behind him for a moment and leans forward. "I left the group."

Alyss's face pales. "You idiot!" She hisses, pressing her half-finished cigarette into the counter, there was a sizzling sound from where it was burning her hand but she paid it no mind. "Now they're going to kill you!"

"They tried," Beck's serious expression was set in stone, "And they failed."

"They'll be ready next time," Alyss narrows her eyes. "Do the Crims know about Ally?"

Ally stiffens when her name is mentioned in the same sentence as the Crims. "Yeah," Beck answered sadly, "They'll be coming for her if they don't find me first."

"Um, I'm right here." Ally interjected. "Can you guys speak to me directly?"

Beck ignored her question but turned to her, "Go to your apartment and get your stuff. We need to leave the City as soon as possible if we want a chance."

"Sounds like they take these things very seriously," Ally muttered as she stood to follow him out.

"They do," Beck replied gruffly as he pulled out his baton and rezzed a lightcycle. Turning to her, he wore a sad expression. "I'm sorry we had to leave Neon together under these circumstances. I think Purgos is the perfect place until we come up with a more permanent location."

Ally blinks, _Did he imply he wanted to leave Neon with me in a different way?_ It was sweet of him to think of things like that but at the moment their lives were in mortal danger and she couldn't allow herself distractions.

Rezzing her own lightcycle, she leads Beck to the apartment in which she assumes he doesn't know where it's located. When they arrive, they close their bikes into batons and race into the building. Beck looks around the rooms of the apartment wile Ally packs what few belongings she has. "How much time do you think we have?" She asks.

A low, scratchy voice chuckles out of the dark, "Not much, sweetheart."

Someone grabs Ally from behind and she screams. "Beck!"

She hears struggling in another room that Beck entered, confirming they've both been ambushed. "Take 'em outside," the voice orders.

Beck's subdued and taken outside, immediately transported somewhere while Ally was still trying to fight them. That's when the Program who had spoken strides forward and slaps her across the face, dazed from the blow, Ally stops fighting.

The Program, Gage, grips her chin and forces her to look at him. "You've been causing a bit of trouble for us." The leader tells her, "What have you been saying to Beck to convince him that it was a wise choice to leave us?"

"I didn't tell him anything." Ally defends herself, only to be slapped again.

"Don't talk." He admonishes her and turns so his back was facing Ally. "I sometimes wonder how exactly a Program derezzes from explosions," He drawls out, "Could it be from the sudden burst of energy or heat? Maybe it's a combination of both."

"Actually, it's-" Ally is slapped by Gage halfway through her sentence.

"That was a rhetorical question!" He says, irritated, "The point of bringing that up is because we took our little defector, Beck, to that warehouse." He points in the direction of the deserted building. "Very soon, it's going to explode, and your boyfriend will be no more."

"No…NO!" She shouts and twists around to pull out of the grip of her captors, but they were unrelenting. Gage grips Ally's chin and forces her to look in the direction of the building.

"I want you to watch the explosion that kills Beck," He whispers into her ear. "Let it be a lesson to not ever toy with the Crims."

A burst of white and blue flames engulfs the warehouse and gradually eat away at the material the building was made of. Her eyes moisten and she tries to look away but Gage holds fast to her chin. "Watch it." He orders, and she has no choice but to until he allows her to stop.

After 10 long MicroCycles, the flames start to die down and Ally is released. She sinks to her knees and covers her face with her hands to hide the tears pouring from her eyes. The image of the explosion seemed to have been permanently burned into her eyes and all she could see was the fire.

"Now leave Neon and never come back." Gage orders.

Taking a few deep breaths, Ally stands, looks around the City one last time. Her eyes linger on the smoky remains of the warehouse only for a moment before she pulls out her baton, rezzes her lightcycle and drives away. Ally wasn't going to Purgos – Beck was dead. Being there would only make her constantly dwell on what just happened.

She stops at the train station and sits on a bench with her knees drawn up to her chest. Ally didn't have anything with her – she'd left all her belongings back at her apartment but she didn't care. There was no way she was going back there and she wasn't staying in this City any longer.

Desperately trying to distract herself from her own thoughts, Ally tunes into other people's conversations and one of them catches her attention.

"Did you hear that Clu's spreading his influence farther than Tron City? Apparently he's already taken over Selenium and Polonium as well. Rumor has it that he's unsatisfied with even that!"

The other Program snorts. "Not if I have a say in it. I've heard about this Resistance Movement against Clu founded by some remaining members of ISO Sympathizers that haven't gone into hiding."

_A Movement founded by unhidden ISO Sympathizers?_ Ally looks up and stares at the Programs. "E-Excuse me," She says, "Where is this movement located?"

The second Program shrugs. "Somewhere in Bismuth, I guess. You need to find them on your own because their location isn't just blabbed around."

Ally nods, "Okay, thank you." She boards the next express to Bismuth and sits down with a sigh. Ally missed Beck.

Of course it was Gage's fault for killing him in the first place but Ally felt it went further back than that. If Beck hadn't met her, he may not have been tempted to leave the Crims in the first place. And the only way Ally wouldn't have met Beck is if she didn't leave Tron City in the first place.

But Ally knew she had to leave because of Clu.

Clu.

Ally curled her hands into fists. It was Clu's fault. Of course Ally knew that she shouldn't have gotten attached to Beck in the first place but he was so charming and kind…technically her only friend in Neon that she could somewhat open up to.

And now he's gone.

Ally relaxes into her chair as the train starts moving. She'd go to Bismuth and join the Resistance Movement. She'd do anything to keep her mind off of Beck and focus more on liberating the Grid from Clu.

Users knew what other misery he'd cause if things got out of hand. But Ally wants to be there to stop him if she can, no matter what the consequences are.

Ally will do her part to rid the Grid of Clu – she'll avenge Beck in whatever sane way possible.

She wasn't going to give up easily, because she is Alpha.

* * *

**Now I need to make some announcements - they're a big deal and I feel you guys need to be informed about the issues I'm facing.**

**1\. I'm raging about the changes of the plan test for this year's High School Sophomores in the State of Minnesota (The test now has high-stakes and is a graduation requirement. On top of that, you have to get a "good score.") The thing is, the State of Minnesota hasn't decided what that "good score" should be yet...and I'm taking that test TOMORROW! Tomorrow...right away in the morning...meaning I'll be missing my Chemistry and Human Body Systems classes.**

**2\. I have been accepted into the Creative Expression category for my School's Speech Team, (Creative Expression people are the only ones to write their own papers) so I'll be spending a lot less time writing fanfiction and more time coming up with a random story that should last about 10 minutes.**

**3\. I'm learning the hard way that I might've taken some classes that aren't necessarily difficult for me, but still hands out shitloads of homework with short due dates, meaning I have yet another thing to keep me from writing. :(  
(One of the classes that hand out so much work would be my Human Body Systems class...something I'll be missing tomorrow). :( :( :(**

**With all that said, updates are going to become very, very...very infrequent but I vowed to never abandon stories. I will still be around to read other people's work and offer my support but it's going to be hard getting around to doing my part but I promise to do my best.  
**

**Up next: The Next Job (as it will be titled) - After Beck and Ally were separated in Neon they struggle to get on with their lives and block out the painful memories. Meanwhile Courtney escapes Tron City and begins her life anew far away in the Outlands. She faces one small problem...Grid Bugs.**


	10. The Next Job

**Wow, I know what everyone's thinking right now. "Hey, where've you been?" I...have been occupied with homework...and my own little read-a-thon - oh, and memorizing my script for speech. Yeah...wrote this whole thing up yesterday with the decision to post it on New Year's Day (Sorry it's not Tron Tuesday as usual). So...enjoy! :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 10 – The Next Job**

Beck's POV

"So then, that other Program came over and said-" Zed drawled out with a big goofy grin on his face. Beck could've sworn he could feel the pride and smugness radiating off his new friend.

Good for him.

Beck sighed and braced his elbow on the table's surface, his cheek rested on his fist. He wasn't in the mood to be here, he felt like his brooding was doing nothing but keeping others down. It's better off he spent more of his time alone…if only Mara would allow that.

The young Program stared at the flawlessly smooth surface that reflected back his own image. He was never left alone…unless everyone was sleeping, to reboot their systems so they'd have enough energy to keep everything cheerful and happy.

As of late, Beck just hadn't been able to keep Ally out of his head. Sure, they only knew each other for up to twenty cycles, but…he genuinely enjoyed her company while it lasted.

But it just wasn't enough.

_Gage just had to come along and ruin everything._ Beck thought bitterly as he down the rest of his energy. Just a few Micros earlier, Bodhi had asked Beck what had him down that cycle but the young Program refused to answer. When it became clear that no one was going to leave him alone that easily, Beck had snapped at Bodhi, rudely asking if he had some other Program to bother instead.

Needless to say, whatever happens later wasn't going to be fun for the ex-gangster. Beck just wanted time alone to continue sorting through his thoughts and emotions. He wanted peace to grieve over his loss.

As of late, Beck had made it past denial but was stuck constantly shifting between depression and anger over what had happened back in Neon. Honestly, the young Program wasn't sure what possessed him to get so attached to Ally, but there was something different about her.

Despite the female Program's young age, she seemed to hold knowledge and wisdom beyond what most were capable of; those sparkling blue eyes seemed to pierce through Beck's very code, like she could see everything. Then there was her personality, how she was never too quick to judge Beck…even after she found out he was a Crim, and no matter the situation, she'd always attempt to lighten the mood or make others feel better.

To Beck, Ally always seemed so upright, wholesome, pure, yet so strong and capable.

It was a pity, really, how all of that was wasted, torn away from Beck and blown to bits. Beck felt that he'd never be able to experience what Ally taught him ever again – at least, it wouldn't be the same.

"-eck? Beck?" Fingers snapped in front of Beck's face and he blinked, and then shifted his glare from the table up to Zed's face. His friend's proud smile started to fade from the expression he was fixed with. Clearly the story about witnessing a very flimsy old Program telling off a bigger, buffer Program was no longer amusing enough to stand a chance against Beck's negativity.

It's not like Beck was intending to hurt anyone's feelings, he just wanted to be left alone. Too bad no one else saw it his way.

"Are you okay, Beck?" Mara's worried gaze entered Beck's field of vision. Those innocent aqua blue eyes seemed to pierce the young Program, threatening to make him bleed out everything, all the negativity, anguish, and loss he was feeling. Mara's gaze almost seemed to give comfort and reassurance, to tell him that everything was okay now, that he could share anything.

Beck sighed and dropped his gaze. No one deserved to be burdened with his own problems. It wouldn't help anyone if he brought up the topic of that mess, it would only refresh his pain by saying it aloud. This was just the kind of thing Beck needed to sort out on his own. He felt that he'd be able to get past all of this one cycle, when he was ready.

He just needed to be strong and push through. Despite knowing Ally for a short amount of time, he was familiar enough to the female that he knew she wouldn't want him hung up over her, that she'd want him to move on eventually. As of late, he just didn't have enough mental capacity to push past the recent problems yet.

It's only been a MylaCycle since the accident and so far he'd moved to another City (a remote one at that), gotten a new job to use his natural talents, and he'd gained three new friends.

Gazing back into Mara's intense aqua eyes, Beck felt guilty. Any other Program would be grateful for what he had at that moment, yet he wasn't satisfied. Here he was, sitting in a club, glaring at a table and thinking about what he didn't have.

_Ally wouldn't want that._ Beck knew it but he didn't know how to push past his ungrateful thoughts. He couldn't just ignore his problems…could he?

Beck sighed yet again and sat up straighter. "I think…I want to dance." His sentence started out sounding strong and firm but then he'd paused and started trailing off in a quieter, unsure tone.

_Wow, very confident._ He berated himself for sounding so stupid. He wanted to dance? When did that come up?

Yet Mara's concerned frown turned into a goofy smile. Clearly she hadn't expected that. "Well maybe," She started as she used her unbelievably strong arms to haul Beck to his feet, "You should ask Bodhi." She narrowed her eyes playfully, "Or are you going to be a big grump to him all night?"

She's always right. He knew he was a jerk to Bodhi earlier and clearly Mara was more interested in hearing Zed's goofy stories over and over again.

Beck found it kind of annoying how it seemed that Mara was telling him how to have fun, ordering him of what he should and shouldn't do, but then again, it was called for. Near the top of this things-to-do-list, he had to make up with his friend that he'd sneered at.

With another exasperated sigh, Beck stood up from the booth he sat in with Zed and Mara and looked around for his friend. He spotted Bodhi leaning against a wall with a bored look, merely watching the Programs on the dance floor.

The poor guy looked like he was waiting for anything more interesting to happen. Beck started nudging his way between Programs among the crowd to get to his friend. They really needed to sort this mess out and the more Beck thought about what he said, the more guilty he felt.

Ally was right; he's too much of a softie to be a Crim. At least that somewhat made him feel better – he wasn't a codeless monster.

"Hey," Beck tapped Bodhi on the shoulder and his friend glanced over at him with a smirk.

"I figured you'd get bored with yourself too after a while," Bodhi said with a mere shrug.

Ouch. Beck knew he had that one coming. The young Program pushed past the stinging insult and swallowed his pride just for that moment. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said," He started, "I was just a little upset over something that I haven't put behind me. That's all. I didn't intend to take anything out on you, man."

"Meh," Bodhi shrugged a shoulder, "I get that way sometimes. I accept your apology." He looks at Beck with a grin. "But I get the feeling you didn't come over here just to apologize, so what's up?"

Beck shrugs awkwardly, "Well, when I told Mara that I felt like dancing, she kind of told me that you'd probably be in a better mood for it than her."

Bodhi snickers. "So tell me, Beck, what are your thoughts about Mara?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean her behavior. Is it refreshing or what?" Bodhi laughs.

Beck shifts uncomfortably at the thoughts going through his head. "I swear, sometimes from the way she looks at me, it feels like she's staring into the very center of my coding. Makes me shudder sometimes."

Bodhi tries to stifle his chuckles but fails miserably, as it turns into uncontrollable hiccups of laughter.

The young Program sighs, feeling annoyed and a little exasperated. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh it up, man. You make me feel great inside, you know that?" He tells his friend with poisonous sarcasm.

"No, I was just worried that it was only Zed and myself that felt that way around her. I tell you, Beck, she can be scary sometimes." Bodhi snuck a glance at the blue-haired girl sitting by the awkward Program and shook his head slowly. "And she's an expert at manipulation, even if she doesn't know it. I think Able sees that in her too; she'd make a great leader someday…just not now, she's too scary for her own good."

Beck felt it was his turn to laugh and Bodhi shot him a dirty look. "It's true and you know it," Bodhi hissed and folded his arms with a pout.

"You wanna dance?" Beck asked out of the blue when he stopped laughing.

Bodhi gave Beck a mock bow, "After you, milady," He snorted, which earned a playful shove on Beck's part. "I mean, yes sir." He gave Beck an exaggerated salute instead and laughed when his friend looked at him weird. "Alright man, let's have some fun." Beck smirked and turned to get on the dance floor but Bodhi stopped him.

"Now what?" Beck asked, annoyed.

Bodhi struggled to keep a straight face. "I thought you wanted to wait until the slow dance." Unfortunately, poor Bodhi wasn't able to hold in his amusement when Beck gave him a weirded-out look.

"You know that's not what I meant." Beck snapped, "I challenge you to a dance off."

Bodhi managed to stop laughing and smirked, "Oh, you're on."

…

Ally's POV

"What in the name of Kevin Flynn is wrong with you?!"

Ally merely narrowed her eyes at the shouting. She could only overlook the stupid Program's shouting for so long before she was unable to stand it anymore. Lately, she'd been able to tolerate less and less of all the shouting and berating. It was all getting really old really fast.

She'd been losing so much of her patience as time went on. She couldn't get enough of fighting on the field. She wanted Clu dethroned at that moment!

Unfortunately, the only support Ally had at the moment were her comrades in the Resistance Movement, as she was unable to contact any of her old friends from Tron City – ISOs and Specials alike.

Ally feared that she may have been among the few to actually escape Tron City; that everyone she'd ever known was either dead or captured, held in Clu's wicked clutches. The negative thoughts only fueled her anger and made her fists clench.

All the shouting going on wasn't helping either.

"You nearly compromised this whole operation and put the lives of your teammates on the line! What have you got to say for yourself?"

She exploded. "Will your stop already?!" Ally stepped out of formation and glared at her commanding officer. "We all understand that he took a big risk and disobeyed orders on the mission but at least he seemed to know what he was doing!" Ally pointed a finger at the superior's face. "The outcome of what happened was even better than what we expected by following your orders and honestly, it could've gone better if you weren't always standing around shouting all the time!"

The room was so silent, anyone could have heard a voxel drop a mile away. Her commanding officer narrowed his eyes at her for speaking out of turn and directly insulting him in front of his squadron. "I suppose you think you know better then?" He raised an eyebrow.

Ally took a deep breath and glanced back at her comrade that had apparently screwed up. He looked so nervous yet relieved that he was no longer taking the brunt of their officer's anger. The look he snuck Ally, however, almost looked pitying.

Sure, Ally was the newest member on the squadron. The Resistance Movement, predictably, welcomed their recruit with open arms and training started immediately. The sessions were quick and brutal and it took a lot of endurance on her part to keep up with her teammates. She felt the only thing holding her team back, in particular, was their stiff commanding officer, who was never open to change, or any other ideas but his own or ones from his own superiors.

Ally glared back, "You have no idea what I've been through to get here, and you don't know even half the things I've seen before I escaped Tron City." She earned a few looks of surprise from that statement, but she kept going, "If you think we're going to win this war against Clu strictly from following orders and being the good soldier under commanders that don't know what they're doing, then you're wrong."

She was on a roll and nowhere close to finishing. In fact, she was only starting with the stupid head. "All this movement's managing is holding off Clu's forces from doing too much damage to this City," She sneered, "And when Bismuth is the last rebellious City standing, Clu will either apprehend the rest of us with brute force, or level the place! And he won't stop there!"

"Alright, that's ENOUGH!" She flinched from the voice and her commanding officer grabbed at the back of the neck area of her suit firmly to control her movement. "Clearly, you need more discipline as a soldier before you're capable of doing more than being counterproductive with your own team." Their commander turned to address the squad with a stern expression, "You're all dismissed."

Ally was tugged down the hallway by her officer and shoved into one of the training rooms. Upon being released, she whirled around to face the officer that forced her inside. His merciless eyes bore into her, unrelenting. "Drop and give me one hundred," He snarled, "And if I see even the smallest pause, you start over. Count them."

She shoots her commander a killer glare before she gets down onto her hands and knees, then shifts into a high plank position, then she bends her elbows to ninety degrees. "One, sir," She straightens her arms completely and bends them back into ninety degrees, "Two, sir," And she continues.

…

Ally rubs her sore arms and grumbles incoherently as she sips her energy. At some point during her disciplinary punishment, near the end, her officer _thought_ he saw her falter when she was at push-up ninety three and made her start over again. These incidents during her punishment occurred several more times until her apparent "pauses" turned into real ones and she had to keep starting over.

Technically, Ally wasn't finished was probably going to resume at a later time. The only reason she wasn't continuing was because her commander was called into an emergency meeting with Chad and the other higher ranked officers. That, and she came close to collapsing from exhaustion and energy starvation.

As of late, Ally had been so busy either following orders, sleeping, or being annoyed at other Programs that she didn't have time for other things, such as drinking energy or thinking about Beck.

She sighed, when her thoughts wandered back to the loss. Ally had only known the young male for a short while but it was long enough to build an attachment to him. Just like her other friends, he was gone.

It was why she was having such a hard time in the Resistance Movement. Thinking was far too painful for Ally that she'd insisted on getting a strict captain that would keep her on her toes. The outcome of her request wasn't exactly what she had in mind, as it all was quite annoying, but she had to admit that it was all better than thinking.

"Hey," She stiffened when she heard a voice close behind her. Ally whirled around and grabbed his wrist to twist it into a painful position.

"What do you want?" She asked as she set down her half-empty glass of energy. She recognized the Program, it was the guy that "screwed up," according to their bitchy commanding officer.

He groaned from the way she was holding his hand, "I just wanted to thank you," He managed to get out between the hisses of pain. "You know, for getting the attention off me."

Ally blinked in surprise, "Oh," She released his wrist and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly while picking up her glass, wincing from the soreness that still pulsed in her arms and shoulders, "It wasn't that big of a deal, really."

He rubbed his wrist and released it to hold it out again, "I'm Skipper," He paused, "Please just shake it. I really don't want a broken wrist."

Ally suppressed a giggle as she firmly gripped his hand and shook it. "Alpha."

Skipper released Ally's hand and he sat down, still facing her. "So is it true? Are you one of the Specials to escape Tron City?"

She sighed, "It was a horrible experience. I can't communicate with any of my old friends, so I don't know if any of them managed to get away or…" She trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Ally sighed and downed the rest of her energy. "So what brings you to the Resistance Movement of Bismuth?" she asked to change the subject.

Skipper looked thoughtful for a moment, "Same thing as you, I guess." he leaned back in his seat, "I've got a thing or two against Clu, myself."

"Don't we all," she replied dryly, "I mean, who does that guy think he is that he can just march across the Grid and take what he wants, to kill whoever he wants?"

Skipper was silent for a while, "Yeah, he tore apart quite a few lives,"

"I just want him to stop," Ally whispered, "I like to imagine that he doesn't know what he's really doing, that Clu's just confused or glitching," She paused, "But how can I buy that after all the misery he's caused me?"

"That's a good question," Skipper agrees.

"PRIVATE!"

Both Programs jump to their feet. "Me?" Skipper asks, looking confused.

"No, the other Private!" Their commanding officer shouts.

"It'd be nice if he could remember our names," Ally mumbled to her new friend as she strode over to the superior and narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"

"That earns you two hundred this time, Private," he snarled in her face, "Keep it up!"

"Captain Geoffrey," A new voice addressed her officer, who stiffened. "Is this one of our new recruits?"

"Yes, sir," her commander replied stiffly, "But she still needs more discipline."

Ally snuck a glance at the cool and collected Program, who was looking through a data pad. It was one of the administrators of the Resistance Movement organization, Chad.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to take her off your hands, Captain. We're running short on medics in the hospital and could use a hand." he glanced up at Ally, "Do you mind?"

She shook her head, "Not at all, sir." Ally snuck a glance in Skipper's direction, but he had left the room.

Chad nodded and led her into the hall. "I'm sorry to have you transferred on short notice but we're in a bit of trouble regarding the injured Programs-"

"It's not a problem, really, sir." Ally insists, "I'd be more than happy to accept my new duty."

He's silent for a few painful Micros as they walk to the medical bay, "I've received a report from your commanding officer earlier about your mishap with him," Chad glanced at Ally, "Would you like to say anything regarding it?"

Ally hesitated, unsure if she'd get in trouble or not.

"It's alright, I won't judge what you've done." Chad reassures her. "Very few Programs can tolerate Geoffrey at all."

Ally sighed, "I feel that instead of doing our regular operations and sticking to the same old plans, we need to try something new, break the rules and take a few risks, like Skipper did on our most recent mission." She reasoned, "We can't stick to the same predictable routines or we won't stand a chance against Clu's forces!"

Chad was silent again and she wondered if she said something wrong.

"…I see where your opinion comes from and I highly value your input. I have recently considered the same thing, that if we do the same things over and over, we'll be nothing but a joke that Clu doesn't take seriously. We have many Programs on our side, but we don't have enough creativity for strategies. With more soldiers coming to Bismuth, missions become more difficult."

Ally took the opportunity to cut in, "I feel that's why we must take a few daring risks, to show the Occupation just how undaunted the Resistance Movement is, that we'll never back down."

Chad smirks, "I like your spirit," he opened the door to the med bay and ushered her in. "Are you tried your hand in working with a Program's code before?" She nodded. "Good, there are many Programs here that need their code rewritten."

"Okay, I'm on it." Ally changed her stealth suit into Medic's attire and immediately got to work with treating the patients. As long as she didn't have to constantly deal with Geoffrey, she'd be okay here.

…

Courtney's POV

"Listen, man, you gotta help me," The Program frantically begged her, clutching the gaping wound in his side, still bleeding voxels. "I'm dying here…they're coming for me!"

"I-I'm s-sorry," Courtney backed away from the Basic, pulling her arm from his free hand. "I d-don't know a-anything about co-coding," she hiccupped and hugged herself as she glanced around to make sure no one was noticing them.

She was just as scared as the Programs slowly derezzing in front of her, but for different reasons. Courtney wasn't worried about the soldiers chasing her, about dying (unlike her poor companion), she was scared of being alone, of never seeing a familiar face belonging to one of her friends ever again.

Courtney didn't want to be alone. She clutched the Program and spoke soothing words to calm him down, to keep him quiet. He was still whimpering when she gripped his shoulders and gently laid him down on the floor of the alley they were huddled in.

The disintegrating Program was situated so he was on his back, limbs lying limp with his head resting in her lap. His breathing was ragged, labored, and he gasped every once in a while when the pain seemed to get worse for him.

Courtney gently shushed him and trailed her fingers through his matted, platinum blonde hair. Her melancholy yellow eyes gazed deeply, sorrowfully into his faded grey ones that were so clouded with pain and fear.

"I'm sorry," She barely whispered, "I'm so sorry," Tears filled her eyes as she watched him slowly, painfully, turn from a suffering Program laying on his back into nothing more than a pile of cubes.

Mouth hanging agape, Courtney stared at the voxels piled in her hands and lap, what remained of an innocent life that probably had friends that missed him, maybe even a loved one, a Program who probably had a comfortable life and enjoyed every moment of his time before all this chaos ensued.

Courtney sniffed and hiccupped as she let the cubes fell from her hands and lap as she stood up. Her head hung low as the big realization hit her: she'd failed the poor Program. She couldn't save his life.

She tilted her head towards the sky and flinched when a few raindrops accompanied the tears accompanied the ones already adorning her face. _Why…_

When had everything become so messed up? The Program that was just with her didn't deserve to die, he hadn't even resisted Clu's forces. He was nothing more than an innocent civilian that was at the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the crossfire of the battle between the Clu's army and the ISO sympathizers.

This was what the majority of Tron City and the Outlands surrounding most Cities had become: a barren wasteland. The ISO War had destroyed so many buildings, so many lives, torn and ravaged everything beyond repair.

She'd been so stupid, having not left the City earlier like she should have. Ever since involving herself with Alpha and the rest of her friends during the great battle, she'd become a target, hunted. Instead of splitting like her friends did, she'd stayed in the City's limits to help the innocent Programs. The outcome was far from worth it. All Courtney had faced since deciding to stay was misery and fear on account of the ones she tried to help, bloodlust and hatred from the ones chasing her or attacking the others.

Courtney couldn't stay anymore, she had to make a run for it and leave the City's borders behind, live as a refugee in the Outlands and take her chances there. What used to be a Program on the ground in front of her is enough proof that she's no help to either side, she's just in the way.

She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes as she pulled out her lightcycle baton and rezzed her bike. Courtney had barely exited the alley before a spotlight shone on her. She huffed and annoyance quickly replaced her grief.

Pushing her bike to go faster, Courtney swerved around a corner so she was heading toward the bridge that was at the City's limits. It was her escape route to the Outlands.

Several orange lightcycles beat her to it and crossed her path with their light trails. Courtney closed her baton and ran on foot, she hurdled any light walls that got in her way until she reached one end of the bridge, the other side seeming so far away.

A disk flew towards her and she barely ducked in time to avoid it, several strands of her hair was severed in the process. There wasn't a way she was making it out of this until she was either captured or dead-

Wait.

Courtney glanced over the railing of the bridge and squinted. She could just barely see the bottom…where there was a river. She dodged a punch and kicked another soldier away before she started climbing up the rails, jerking sideways in either direction to avoid whatever object hurdling towards her figure.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she reached the top of the railing and swung her body over to the other side.

"STOP!" A loud voice echoed everywhere as the soldiers stopped attacking her and stood helplessly where they were, watching.

Her eyes opened and she glanced over her shoulder, glaring at the soldiers that nearly killed her. She didn't understand their logic. Just earlier they were firing at her and throwing their disks, now when she was risking her life to get away from them they were telling her not to?

Courtney took a deep breath to brace herself, to give herself that moment of courage. She vowed to sacrifice anything for the sake of freedom.

She was willing to sacrifice this.

Eyes closed, Courtney let go of the rail.

For what seemed like forever, she only heard the air whistle around her, she felt the wind rushing by her so quickly it burned.

**Splash!**

The river was deeper than she expected. Courtney kept sinking deeper, deeper, never touching the bottom. When her initial shock wore off, she was so deep the pressure was crushing her, the air inside demanding to be released.

Everywhere there was darkness.

She forced herself to stay calm and assured herself as long as she had air, she'd float back up…eventually. Courtney flailed around underwater, trying to find her center of gravity, trying to figure out which way was up.

Spots started to cloud her vision already blurred from the water…if that was possible, considering how dark it was all around.

She was just about the give up and let her deletion happen when she finally felt some of the water pressure on her body lesson a little bit. Courtney was starting to feel which direction the air in her body was urging for her to go. With no other choice, she swam in that direction.

Further.

Further.

She gasped when her head broke through the surface. Coughing, she glanced around the figure out how far downstream she'd gone.

Apparently, far enough that the bridge she'd dove off of was no longer in sight. So…no landmark. She was lost.

Courtney set her sights on the next thing she should do: get out of the water. She saw a large rock above the surface and swam towards it. It took several attempts but she'd managed to climb onto it, where she sat shivering until she could dry off a little bit.

While she waited, Courtney checked her pockets and sighed in relief when she found she hadn't lost anything that she had with her.

She brushed wet, tangled strands of her long, reddish caramel colored hair out of her face with a huff and looked around once again. All around her were sheer walls of rock, trapping her in with the river.

Courtney figured she'd had enough excitement for one cycle and decided it would be better to just rest, rejuvenate her strength just a tiny bit so she could at least attempt to scale the steep walls around her.

Finally getting her shivering under control and feeling just a tad bit drier, Courtney lay down and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to take her.

…

Her fingers felt like they were on fire! _Holy Users!_ Courtney cursed over and over inside her head as she put one hand just a bit higher than the other, one foot at a time to a different hold.

_I'm halfway there…_ Courtney gasped for breath as she slowly climbed a little bit higher. She wanted nothing more than to scramble up the rocky walls and get it over with, but she feared she could make a mistake with one of her holds and go tumbling back down into the river.

She certainly didn't want a repeat of last cycle. It wasn't fun.

Courtney lifted her foot up but slipped when she momentarily lapsed in concentration from thinking about last cycle. She shrieked and scrabbled to regain her footing, the stress from earlier made her hands weak and they were starting to slip.

She managed to find two firm footholds and she shifted her grip on the rock face in front of her. Gasping, Courtney tried to calm herself down from the frightening experience and when she felt she had recovered enough, continued.

She reached the top almost half a PectroCycle later, feeling exhausted and weak. Courtney braced her arm on the edge to haul herself up with one final burst of strength, only for the ground to crumble. She screamed and dug her fingernails into the rock, refusing to fall back down, then she pounced, kicking her legs out of their holds to jump up and out of the gorge.

Courtney rolled as far away from the edge as she could and collapsed on her back, panting for breath. She held up her shaky hands to examine them.

If she had to say so herself, they looked a bit worse for wear, battered and scratched, the surfaces practically shredded from all the abuse they endured. Her physical examinations were cut short when she heard something that made her circuits run cold.

She heard the tittering, clicking sounds of tiny metal legs travelling quickly across the frozen rocks of the Outlands…and they seemed to be a big group. Slowly, Courtney sat up and gasped in fright.

There were indeed lots of Grid Bugs, and they were moving to surround her lone Program. She jumped to her feet and ran for the biggest opening available to her. She glanced over her shoulder and sure enough, they were giving chase.

Courtney reached into her pocket and grabbed her lightcycle baton when she noticed they started to gain on her. She twisted it apart and jumped onto the bike to escape and creepy crawly insects.

The young female Program didn't dare allow herself to even think about resting until she could shake off the Grid Bugs. Unfortunately, every time she thought she managed to lose them, more would find her and give chase. After about sixth time it happened, Courtney was beginning to wonder if it was really a wise choice to take her chances in the Outlands.

She glanced over her shoulder as she kept riding to see the bugs still on her tail, and cursed. Of course they were still chasing her. It wasn't until she felt a bump underneath her that she truly got frustrated and scared. Something damaged her lightcycle.

Courtney closed the baton and started to run again, hardly noticing that the rocks surrounding her were starting to change a little bit in size, texture, even properties. Less and less Grid Bugs seemed determined to keep chasing her as she ventured further and further into the area.

She'd glanced over her shoulder one last time and noticed how they were all crowded by what seemed like a borderline between the rock. Slowly and carefully, Courtney bent down and examined what she was standing on. Apparently it seemed to give off some sort of natural Grid Bug repellant that didn't allow them near.

Courtney smirked in triumph and looked around the area she was in. If it meant protection from Grid Bugs she could probably make this area a permanent home. After looking around, she noticed a cave nearby and decided to check it out, being careful to stay as far away from the Grid Bugs as possible.

When she got closer, Courtney examined the properties of the rock that made up the cave, seeming to have the same repellant properties, it also smelled different inside. She couldn't lay her finger on it – the smell wasn't unpleasant, but she'd be lying if she said she liked it.

Courtney bit her lips and cautiously ventured inside to check out the interior. The smell was stronger inside, which led to the assumption that it had something to do with the Grid Bug repelling properties of the rock, but she also caught the scent of something else.

An energy spring.

The young Program was starving for energy after everything she'd endured in the past several Cycles. After stepping deeper into the cave, she notices a faint light reflecting off the cave wall and she looks down to see a pure white energy spring up ahead.

She keeps walking closer until she's at the edge and she gets down on her knees to cup the liquid in her hands and take a drink. Courtney feels a tingling, warm sensation travel through her hands and she looks down to see the injuries on her hands cleaning itself, closing up, healing.

She knew little about wild energy springs, so she was unsure if wounds cleaning themselves upon direct contact was normal or not.

Regardless, Courtney started grinning so widely and started to laugh in delight, still staring at the remarkable feat that happened to her hands. She didn't care anymore whether this was normal or not. She'd hit the jackpot when it came to a stroke of luck.

She'd found a perfect little shelter to settle down in with every natural resource she needed right at her fingertips. Courtney was definitely staying here for a while. Still laughing with giddiness, Courtney cupped more energy in her hands and took a big gulp, shuddering in satisfaction as her body absorbed what she ingested and her circuits glowed brighter, a soft yellow light joining the pure white that reflected off the cave walls, the laughing like music echoing off the surfaces.

Courtney lay down next to the energy pool with a sigh, "Oh, Users," She whispered, "I cannot thank you enough."

* * *

**I know...kind of a weak ending for this one. Lately I've been feeling a lack of motivation towards this particular fic (Don't worry, I'll still finish it!), during my little read-a-thon, I kind of developed an interest towards the Transformers fandom-  
"WHAT?! How could you?!"  
Sorry...while reading a few fanfictions under that category, I kind of got an idea of my own, so I've been writing a basic plot line to get it out of my head. Now, I don't think I'm going to pursue turning it into an actual fic (unless you guys are interested) because I'm still strongly devoted to writing Tron fanfiction (I've still got plenty ideas for it).  
**

**And of course, with my homework, speech stuff, and my apparent reading addiction, I have to say that my writing schedule's going through the shredder, so to speak. :( I'm not trying to disappoint anyone, I'll pull through with this like I managed with the last three books. It'll just take time.**

**Up next: It's a BIG time skip, fellas. I'll probably go into detail about Aurora's beginning and then skip more to a later date involving Jeremy and Maggie's growing resistance against Clu. Meanwhile, I'll be sharing my own little ideas regarding the upgrade weapon and how it came to be created. Again, if anyone wants me to go deeper into other areas of the timeline, you just need to speak up. TRON LIVES! Toodles.**


	11. Weapons and Upgrades

**Happy Birthday to me! And here's my little gift to you, fellow Programs. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Weapons and Upgrades**

_6 XilaCycles since the ISO War…_

Maggie's POV

"Jeff," Maggie attempted to get her partner's attention from across the lab.

The male Program didn't glance up from his data pad. He tapped through a few more menus and reports.

"Jeremy," she tried again.

This time, he only grunted in response. He's such a brat.

Maggie had enough of this game and picked up the closest inanimate object to her, a wrench, and chucked it across the room towards his shoulder.

Jeremy's entire upper body was a blur; his hand shot out and caught the wrench. Calmly, slowly, he placed the data pad on a counter and turned to face his friend, absently tapping the head of the wrench in the palm of his hand. "Yes?" He asked to finally acknowledge her.

Maggie turned away from his piercing gaze and pointed to the giant screen in front of her. "Look at this. These codes, theories, ideas that Clu had about the procedure."

It had taken the two Programs roughly two XilaCycles to infiltrate and integrate themselves into Clu's army, and then another one as test subjects. After copying the data and destroying the lab, faking their own deaths in the process, they spent about 11 HiloCycles hopping all over the Grid to hide, gather recruits that proved as legitimate rebels against Clu, and afterward they took 2 more XilaCycles to design and build their own hideout, including the lab. Ever since then, they've been downloading and sorting through all the information of the experiment they were part of.

Jeremy crossed the room to look over her shoulder. He squinted his eyes as he followed her finger to read through the purposes of the experiment, muttering under his breath about super soldiers, enhanced sensory, and the desired ability to control the said soldier.

His eyes widened at the last part. "Have you found more information on this?" Jeremy pointed to the last part of the text he was reading.

Maggie shook her head. "I'm afraid not. See, I only just discovered it. You know, it was the reason I kept trying to call for your attention." She shot him a pointed look. "Now get away, let me get back to working, or you'll have more than just a wrench to worry about."

Jeff simply blinked and took Maggie's hand. Carefully, he placed the wrench in her palm and closed her fingers over it, never moving his eyes from her face. Surprisingly, she managed to hold a straight face as he did so.

"I swear to the Users, one would believe that you enjoy behaving as if you're clinically insane." He jested as he returned to his original place in the lab and picked up his data pad again.

Maggie scoffed, "If you think this is being insane, you have something else coming besides the wrench and my earlier threat."

Not looking up from his work, Jeremy simply replied with, "I believe you."

…

Beatrix's POV

She could go on and on about how much she missed the good old times. Those cycles when she could hang out with her pals and playfully flirt and jest at random Programs without worrying about being attacked or even killed.

Although she never took those simple moments from the Golden Era for granted, Beatrix still felt that she never got enough of those good, fun experiences. She didn't even get to properly say goodbye to her friends…

All of this pain she felt in the present time was only because of _what_ she was, not who she is as an individual. Surely some of the soldiers constantly watching her knew deep down that it wasn't a good reason as to _why_ she was treated so terribly.

But no, they didn't look like they saw anything in her but a disease that needed to be quarantined and eliminated…as soon as she's no longer useful.

An ISO; it seemed that now, they were no longer even seen as Programs, let alone living beings that actually had feelings.

The last Program she met that treated her as an equal individual was one she'd never forget.

Avery. The Special that worked for Tron before Clu rose to power. She heard a rumor that Flynn was somehow corrupted by the Abraxas virus that broke out and Tron died unknowingly protecting the viral User, not able to see reason. An Anonymous System Monitor was said to be infected with the virus as well.

Beatrix called bull crap on those lies. The System Administrator was clever in the art of lying, but it would take much more than a couple of rumors from other Programs to make her lose her faith in the Users, and Tron.

What kept her hopeful was Avery. He told her story of how he was caught, that he refused to change sides because Clu had betrayed Flynn and killed Tron because he didn't join his new army. And if she had to guess, it wouldn't be too far out to believe that Clu created the Abraxas virus to distract everyone from the real problem.

It's funny, because when she was locked in that cell with the Special all those XilaCycles ago, she thought she would've been derezzed soon after he was taken away and never seen again.

She only met him once, and still had yet to find out what happened to him. If anything, Beatrix still kicked herself for making such a terrible first impression on him. She talked so much during the few PectroCycles they had together up until his irritation was obviously visible.

But in her defense, she had no idea how much time her clock of life had left before she was killed simply because she was taking up space. And the moment they removed her from the cell, which wasn't very long after Avery was taken away, she truly thought that it was the end.

Surprisingly, she was only kept around because her creativity plus her scientific knowledge equaled the potential for super weapons to give Clu's side an edge.

She didn't like the project she was forced to participate in, nor did she enjoy being around the staff and coworkers (if they were even considered that) any better, especially Shaw.

While she had to admit that Shaw was a genius (it was even said that he helped Clu develop the Repurposing Project), he wasn't the friendliest of Programs to work with.

Very crudely, he was the one to brief her about the failed Adaptation experiment on the Specials. And Clu, along with himself, collectively, decided it was a lost cause and focused on a more simple method to upgrade the average Program in general.

If building this prototype was successful, it could be mass produced and distributed to every individual soldier in Clu's army, and they'd be unstoppable.

Beatrix didn't like the sound of that at all, but she had no choice but to help write the code for the weapon, plan out the desired outcome of its use, seek out the flaws and side effects that could happen.

She didn't enjoy working like this; it didn't even count as living. Her freedom, her dignity, and her happiness were taken away from her.

Every terrible scenario, verbal and physical abuse, and forced labor was because of Clu, who wanted nothing more than her to help Shaw design and build a weapon so she can later be executed and forever deleted from the Grid.

Her friends and any hope she used to cling onto was gone, and the only thing she could turn to was revenge out of spite and the sense of justice that Beatrix starved for.

"Come here, ISO," A deep, monotonous voice shook Beatrix from her thoughts, "Hand me that data pad."

Silently, she did as he requested, not willing to upset him any more than he usually is. Even when he was in a happy mood, he'd yell at someone that didn't even spare him a glance.

"Have you found any errors in the weapon's coding?" He asked as he listed all of the material he needed to finish building the weapon's physical shell. It was very peculiar matter, meant to be absorbed into the disk where the code would sync with the subject wearing it, and should it be destroyed, the weapon has regenerative properties.

"No, sir, everything's ship-shape," she lied straight through her teeth. There were various problems with the weapon, some of which she was directly responsible for such as, the integration with one's disk isn't permanent like it was designed to be, as someone could just pull it off, and then there were a few _typos_ in the code, planted in random areas to screw with its function.

There were indeed side effects of the weapon, some of which may have been the result of Beatrix messing with the code, but it made the bearer of the weapon unbelievably aggressive and then there was the small problem of the power it offers being addictive to the subjects that wore it.

In fact, that was only a small fraction of all the problems the upgrade possessed, but she was hoping that all of these problems and side effects would later lead Shaw and Clu to believe that this project was a lost cause, just like the adaptation procedure for the Specials.

"Go fetch me the prototype," Shaw ordered her; "I want to make sure its physicality is appealing and pristine."

…

Auroras' POV

Pure, raw, powerful code waiting to be used…that's all It was.

It didn't have thoughts.

It didn't have feelings.

It wandered all over the Outlands much like the other floating bits of code.

It had no destination in mind.

It had only one purpose: to be used, manipulated, to have scripts written so It could take an appropriate physical form designed solely for the purpose of completing whatever task it needed to do that fit what the code designed It to become.

It wandered, and waited.

And waited.

And It waited for something or someone to touch it, manipulate it, and transform it into something with purpose.

Since the Grid's creation, It has been around, hovering, wandering, and waiting.

Finally, the time came when hands descended over the glowing physical code, touched it, opened an empty holographic box just waiting to be given a purpose, to be turned into something with a new shape, form, and size.

But the hands only typed in a mission: to find a Special named Courtney, to guide her through her confusion and psychological lapses, and help her make the decisions she must choose in order to bring her to the User known as Kevin Flynn.

Kevin Flynn…a User…the same being that was currently organizing her mission, her purpose.

It felt its first real emotion: relief.

The text box closed and It finally had purpose. It felt indebted to the User and privileged to be given a challenge to complete. It felt another emotion: determination.

It felt the inner motivation and desire to do as commanded.

Without hesitation, It left the User behind and continued on its journey. It no longer wandered. It now searched.

It will find Courtney.

…

Jeremy's POV

"I don't like the looks of that script in there." Jeremy commented as Maggie pointed out more details and codes she uncovered about the plan to control the Specials that underwent the procedure.

"No wonder Clu was so unsatisfied with the results, right?" Maggie replied, "In fact, I bet he was quite happy about the new and improved abilities. We just can't be controlled, we were hazards, and risks to the plans he had against the revolutionaries."

Jeremy shook his head slowly. "These two are the individual codes that they used on us." He zoomed in on the code and projected it on a larger screen. "It's flawed," he commented, "See how there's an extra symbol right here in mine and yours is missing two for a particular command."

The lab door opened and a male Basic Program stepped inside. "You guys are going to want to see this," he sounded out of breath and wheezed a little, "Dash sent us an update and says the Renegade in Argon City has been accused of causing frequent blackouts in the City and even attempted to kill off a few civilians by planting a bomb in a tunnel system."

Maggie paused in her work, "That sounds disturbing…even to me."

"Well that says something then…" Jeremy commented with a thoughtful look on his face. "May I see the report?" he held out his open hand.

Silently, the Program handed Jeff the data pad, and retreated from the room, clearly dismissed.

Maggie looked over Jeremy's shoulder and skimmed over the report. "This can't be right," she argued, "If he's impersonating Tron, wouldn't he continue to fight for the Programs and not be turning on them at any random moment?"

Jeremy sighed. "I have to agree that something's missing from this report, a very important detail." He opened another menu and began typing a reply to Dash's message. "I suggest he simply stands on the sidelines and attempt to more thoroughly observe what's going on, maybe even ask his boss, coworkers and friends of their thoughts and opinions of this concerning topic."

Maggie says nothing, but curtly nods in agreement to his plan. After all, Argon wasn't their problem – the two were more focused on fixing and improving the adaptation procedure for use in the future.

"For now, I think it's best to simply keep an eye out on Argon City to make sure nothing too drastic occurs there, but the majority of our attention should go to this," he lifted a hand to gesture at the big screen still projecting the code used on Maggie.

The female Program once again nodded, "I can see the differences in the scripts used on us that resulted in our unique abilities," she went through and fixed the typos and got rid of the unnecessary code. "I think if we merged the two scripts and experimented with writing our own to achieve Clu's former goals…excluding the mind control," Maggie said, "We might just get exactly what we need before we can start performing tests on consented subjects."

Jeremy nodded at Maggie's suggestion with a ghost of a smile. "I approve," he declared, "Let's get started."

…

Beatrix's POV

The weapon was finally finished, much to her displeasure. At least Shaw never bothered to double-check for any flaws himself.

Oh well.

When it finally is used and tested on a subject in a simulation, the errors are going to be quite obvious. And by then, she'd be dead, so neither Shaw, nor any other Occupation scientist could ever consult her to fix them. As long as she can successfully destroy her disk before she's executed, no one could look into it and discover how to undo the problems she caused.

Beatrix hoped that this weapon wouldn't cause any problems for any other living soul besides those in the Occupation, because no Program deserved to endure such complications.

However, she knew and acknowledged that from here on out, nothing was in her control anymore.

In the next room over, she could hear Shaw speaking with General Tesler about visiting Argon City to introduce the weapon to his army and maybe, gain the upper hand against the Renegade and finally delete him.

She didn't hear much about anything outside the lab, so listening in on the scientist's conversation spiked her interest about a mysterious Program taking on Tron's persona and fighting for the innocent Programs forced to endure the slavery Tesler's putting them up to.

Secretly inside, she rooted for the male that she may never meet and wished him the best of luck, the hopefully Kevin Flynn was watching over him.

Beatrix could hear the meeting between Shaw and Tesler concluding so she had to work fast. Not bothering to glance at the soldier guarding the door, she dashed towards the nearest high-powered energy welder and without bothering to use safety protocols, ripped her disk off her back, placed it on the table, and activated the machine.

It sliced cleanly through her disk a few times before the soldier finally got close enough to turn off the machine. Then came the moment Beatrix had been expecting for the longest time, wondering when it would finally happen.

Derezzolution.

It hung above her head like a ton of weights held up by a weak, flimsy energy cable.

Time seemed to go in slow motion after that.

Beatrix took a deep breath and closed her eyes when she saw the guard draw his disk and activate it because of the violation on her part to the lab rules.

It felt like two and a half eternities before she heard the disk move, come closer and closer.

Surprisingly, she didn't feel anything. Beatrix didn't open her eyes, but she gasped in surprise.

Bit by bit, she disintegrated into a pile of cubes, but not before she set a wide smile on her face, as if mocking the soldier that murdered her.

In reality, she was mocking Clu, Shaw, the Occupation, because she wasn't miserable anymore. After so long having to endure mental and physical torture, she was finally set free.

* * *

**Obviously, I called Aurora an "It" in this chapter because technically, she didn't develop a "gender," let alone a voice until she actually found Courtney.  
And then there's Beatrix...sorry, I know her ending in this chapter's a bit dramatic and a little fast, but it's getting late for me and I just HAD to post this today...on Tron Tuesday. We all know I owe it to you guys...whoever's still reading this. ;P**

**Usually I'd apologize for the late update with an excuse, but we all know by now why I hadn't posted earlier. Besides...this whole chapter was written all today. XD I'm getting better!  
And truthfully, I just can't wait 'till school's over, because I WANT MORE WRITING TIME!...And I decided after I post several more Tron Fics, I will post a Transformers story because...why the heck not?!  
**

**Credit goes to QuilSniv for suggesting that I go deeper into detail about the creation of the Upgrade weapon. Thanks for your handy idea, because I personally think it went quite well in this chapter!**

**Again, I'm glad to have updated today! Have a great evening (or morning for some people). TRON LIVES! Toodles.**


	12. Duty of Soldiers

**Greetings, Programs! Happy Tron Tuesday :D  
Wow, has it been a long year for me! Summer has finally come! You guys know what that means. More time to write! Honestly, I could come up with so many excuses for not writing this sooner, that it could take up a whole novel, packed with so...much...drama. But I won't bore you guys with that. It's just not even worth going into. Anyway, here's the latest chapter. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Duty of Soldiers**

Tris's POV

6 XilaCycles, 11 HiloCycles, 3 MylaCycles, 5 Cycles, 2 MilliCycles, 4 PectroCycles, 36 MicroCycles, 21 NanoCycles, and counting.

That's how long it's been since the ISO War, since anyone has heard anything regarding Alpha, and the rebels she'd rallied in her last attempt, and failure, to save the fugitive scum.

Tris clenched her fist. How stupid that Program was, not realizing how chaotic it could be to allow the ISOs to run rampant, unchecked. Too much free will meant no control, and without control, meant no perfection.

She'd heard it a million times, how only through perfection could anyone be truly free.

If freedom and perfection meant the same thing, then she was more than happy to use any means necessary to achieve such a desired goal. A few lost lives meant nothing for the greater good.

It's always the majority that will outweigh the minorities. Always.

The sooner everyone realized and accepted that fact, the better off the Grid would be.

At least she'd managed to help that along the very night that the attacks started. Tris debated with Alpha about morality, before she managed to round up a hefty number of Programs. Then there was the easiest part, when she'd decided to go to Clu about the conflict, with her followers in tow.

It wasn't long until she'd proven her loyalty that she was given her own place amongst his military's ranks as a commander of her own unit of Specials.

Her first volunteer was Jake, the rest were assigned to her group. Though Tris had vaguely known Jake before the ISO War, they never talked, not until they were part of the same group, and had no choice but to get closer for the benefit of teamwork.

Tris would gladly admit it: she has attitude problems, and is quick to burst when something isn't right. She's certain that if Jake had known that beforehand, he wouldn't have volunteered.

It doesn't matter now, though, it's too late for him to switch around, and so he has to work with what he's got.

If there was one thing that she would constantly deny though, is being a killjoy. It didn't matter whether the statement of opinion was true, or not. Everyone was entitled to their own opinion, which included their outlook, and personal definition of the term "fun."

However, duty always comes before personal enjoyment. In Tris's own opinion, "fun" meant the passion oneself had for their actions. Her passion was maintaining order and perfection for the sake of a happy System Administrator.

On one side, she also wanted nothing more than to feed her pride by battering the egos of everyone else she deemed inferior to her.

For example, Alpha and her friends; the very thought of them made her clench her fists. All of the chaos and disorder they could be causing simply from their very presence. Not to mention the Renegade wasn't any better than them.

They were all stirring up trouble, and Tris simply couldn't tolerate that.

Once it became clear that the Renegade was becoming more than a nuisance, and Alpha wasn't coming out of hiding yet, she'd practically begged on her knees in front of Clu to allow her to deal with this vigilante, but he denied her the request, reminding her that she's supposed to deal with affairs involving the Specials.

On top of that, her one and only complaint about her job would be the fact that Lieutenant Skipper was out more on the field than Tris and her teammates combined.

How is anyone to maintain order when they're not out making themselves useful nearly enough to satisfy Tris, or Clu?

So she faced the only option of gaining permission from a superior while properly filing a complaint, all the while to avoid the wrath of her great leader: she organized missions for her team with Dyson.

After enough pestering and her brilliant display of her ambition, Clu's second in command finally relented and helped her organize multiple field missions at a time that they could complete just to keep her off his back.

Of course, never mind that Jake was getting more and more irritated with Tris, as she seemed to never stop giving orders to them (even if it's not an outright command, but more of a nudge, or a hint), although he never shows it.

She still knows it's there. It's so easy for her to read everyone – they're like online data pads that don't require passcodes. Although there was one soldier in her unit that was either good at hiding true feelings, or simply wasn't irritated with her: Benedict. The young male was the kind of Program who stayed strict with the rulebook.

Ben was a very quiet guy, and only voiced his opinion when asked; otherwise, he never bothered to waste his breath.

If it was another thing Clu and Tris agreed on, it's the opinion that Benedict was the perfect soldier, an ideal asset to have, with the benefits that he was never repurposed.

The strange thing is, Benedict was almost as old as Clu himself (though he didn't look it), and no one was sure of why he was there to serve as a member of the military.

So like any "rational" Program, Tris decided to ask him. The answer she received wasn't anything like she expected. In fact, it was so simple that the whole reasoning was absurd.

It was because he favored the color orange. If that didn't clue anyone in that he's bonkers, Tris didn't know what would. But when she asked him if he had other reason, he paused, and replied that other than his simple claim, he had no reason to go _against_ Clu's forces.

Furthermore, like Tris, he wasn't the kind of Program to stand by on the sidelines and let things happen without his involvement. His life had been quiet enough in an energy purifying station, and sparring in his free time that he had the desire to do something to make a difference.

Though the most interesting aspect of Benedict's personality that caught the most of Tris's attention, was the tiny fact that he never had a true friend. As such, turned him into an introversive, hardened Program that spent his free time designing simulation sequences for his personal use of sparring, and talking to himself occasionally in the absence of company.

However, none of that would be paid any additional attention than necessary. What counted was his effort towards the cause. The only thing that Tris needed to do was watch out for Ben and make sure he didn't have any reason to go against Clu.

As long as he's working for her, who cares if it's because orange is his favorite color?

If anything, the teammate she had to watch out for was Jake. While he seemed loyal enough towards Clu, he seemed a bit too emotional, and required more discipline to keep himself in check.

Users only knew what he was capable of if he had a personal goal in mind set by his feelings towards someone or something.

Well, that, and his manipulative charm towards others. Jake's naturally excellent choice of words and his good looks could make nearly anything easier for him to control, even in the slightest.

All the more reason that Tris needed to tighten the reign over her squadron while out on the field. Their duty at the moment was to track down Specials and report their location, and identity, if possible. The next step would be to play any necessary part in their capture. Upon any sightings of ISOs, were to find the nearest guards watching over the city, and immediately notify those authorities the locations of such anomalies.

First, they were to visit Beryllium, move on to Arsenic, jump over to Xenon, Indium, Radium, Silicon, and save Barium for last.

While she knew deep down that her thoughts weren't the most realistic, she hoped to run into some traitor Specials she knew. Tris enjoyed turning personal turmoil against her enemies, it helped to batter their pride before they're locked up forever.

Maybe if she's lucky, she could find Alpha, give her a piece of her mind, and show that wretched Program just how wrong she was about everything.

Or perhaps, she could find Ace or Courtney instead. After all, that cocky male could bring his ego down a few notches.

Tris clenched her fists. Courtney, oh that Program was so naïve, so incredibly stupid and trusting of others that it was less realistic than her own daydreams. She needs a reality check, big time.

She smirked, already planning on how she could get it.

…

Dash's POV

He may just be a Basic, thus, not a candidate for the adaptation procedure designed for Specials, but he could still make himself useful for the benefit of the revolution coming.

Of course, he was only supposed to travel to the Capitol for deliveries, and exchange them by picking up necessary parts and supplies at the Garage.

However, he was smart enough to know the difference between right and wrong.

And a little bird, as Users would say, may have allowed him to overhear at the 0001001 Club about an organization in Tron City with a special project as their secret weapon against the tyrant.

It wasn't the project that caught his attention in the beginning (though he was curious about that too); it was the part about their own revolution separate from the Resistance Movement he'd vaguely heard about in Bismuth.

In truth, he probably would have aligned himself with the closer revolutionaries…if he hadn't discovered through his own research about how the Programs were practically ragtag Basics and refugee Specials posing as professional military wannabees.

To him, it sounded like the rebels near Tron City had more materials, and man power available to them. After all, they couldn't have a secret weapon without a science/medical division of their own to create it.

The Resistance Movement in comparison, only spoke of using sheer force to dethrone Clu, but talked less of the means and strategy behind it. They thought it was more important to work on publicity. However, the revolutionaries in the Capitol were trying to keep themselves under the radar, and stay as secretive as possible, most likely to take the Occupation by surprise.

The way Dash saw things, it looked more like the Programs in Tron City had a better idea of what they were doing, and he wanted to make himself useful in the process of freeing the Grid in Tron's absence.

Who cares if he's young? What matters more is his intelligence and strength. Dash excelled more when he used his cunning and quick thinking, of course, under the façade of being a careless, laid back guy who tried to slack off work whenever possible.

In public, he hardly made his opinion known unless he was faking pessimism. Truly, he was calculating, dissecting whatever information was available to him through observing others and their behavior.

He found Copper to be a great guy to get along with, and often found each other to be on the same page. While his friend was able to keep up in nearly any conversation they have, he wasn't exactly the kind of guy to read under the surface of appearances and words.

In fact, all that Copper really cared for in life was a job that fit his programming, gossiping and pranking others in his free time, not that Dash didn't enjoy those things. While all of that was a pleasant distraction, he sometimes felt that Copper was being quite an influence, and felt his friend's personality rubbing off on him, which did wonders to strengthen his cover.

No one really bothered to ask questions about him anyway, he seemed too carefree to truly be anybody. Oh, if only they knew.

It wasn't long after he rezzed onto the Grid that the ISO Wars started. He wasn't quite sure what the whole conflict was about at the time, but he did have a strong sense of morality, and noticed that the orange soldiers were killing a lot more defenseless Programs than the other way around.

With those facts in mind, he felt the urge to pick a side, and he did. Seeing that he lacked combat skills, because it wasn't in his programming, he found more use of himself putting his mechanical abilities to use, and sabotaged military vehicles and planting viruses in their computers whenever possible.

For a while, he'd made a pattern of those events, and jumping from City to City, repeating those actions, and then moving on so he wasn't caught.

It didn't take him long though, to figure out that his efforts weren't going to do much to stop them, so he gave up and settled down in Argon City.

But once General Tesler arrived, he was beginning to question his faith in the possibility that Clu would be satisfied with what he already has.

Then the Renegade showed up. Truthfully, he admired the Program, and was secretly rooting him on while maintaining his false identity and outright insulting the rebel, using good reasoning behind it to avoid suspicion.

Of course, he probably would have even joined the Renegade in secret…if only he knew how to fight. He could probably help him with sabotage, but the Program seemed to be doing a good enough job on his own.

Dash wasn't sure even now, but he was feeling more of an urge to check out this organization in Tron City instead of putting his efforts anywhere else, so that's what he plans to do.

As soon as he was finished with the exchange, he explored the seedier areas of Tron City, even entering a few clubs and daring to ask a few individual Programs about what they knew of a resistance movement in the City.

Eventually, he got what he was looking for when a Program actually answered his question. Of course, she made him state that he wanted to join before she shared any information with him in a more private place.

She was even courteous enough to take him to the location of their base.

The strange thing for Dash was the fact that she seemed very touchy feely for a Program. It didn't cause discomfort for him, but it was just…weird.

Once she brought him in, it seemed that every security guard was touching him for some reason, perhaps to see if he was concealing any weapons, but he had nothing on him but his lightbike.

He was later able to speak with the two Programs that originally started the organization in the first place. The more talkative one was a male named Jeremy, and his more silent companion was Maggie.

When they were eventually satisfied with the proof he held on his disk of how much he wished to help, and what he could contribute, they filled him in on their history, their intentions, and their plans.

It seemed weird though, how much they easily trusted him. Dash made sure to voice that observation, which made Maggie smile victoriously, like she's been waiting for him to say that, and went into detail about their secret weapon, a science experiment that they were test subjects for.

Jeremy explained how all history and data of it was erased from the Occupation and the duo faked their own deaths. Maggie then continued on about how the project was designed for Specials and what abilities they granted such Programs with.

Dash was able to make more sense about all the touching that went on with the other rebels, but still found it unsettling that they could practically read his mind just from brushing up against his arm or something.

The two Programs told Dash about how obvious it is to them that he wants to help them, but he's also tied down in Argon City with his job and doesn't want to leave his newfound friends behind. Eventually, he came down with the duty of communications, and gave reports to Jeff and Maggie about events going on in Argon.

That duty also included updating the status of the Renegade, and any new facts he could discover about the Program impersonating Tron. Whenever he was making deliveries, pickups, or exchanges near, or at Tron City, he checked in with Jeremy and Maggie in person, and even assisted their mechanics to fix or maintain their equipment.

In all obviousness, it wasn't much of a job, but according to the two leading Programs, he was doing much for them that they appreciated. While Dash wasn't involved much in strategy, he could feel them making progress.

He just hoped that one cycle, he'd still be around to witness the end of Clu's reign, and watch the beginning of a new, golden era.

…

Cutler's POV

"Is it true? Did Tron really survive?" a Program inquired as silently as possible in the darkness of the alley they crouched in.

Smiling, the dark skinned male replied, "I saw it with my own eyes. He saved my life multiple times and risked his coding to ensure I was freed."

"So it's really happening," a different Program spoke up, "He's trying to start a revolution?"

"I know he'll do whatever it takes to free the Grid," he told her, "It's what Tron would do."

The three Programs heard multiple pairs of footsteps approaching, and pressed themselves against the wall as sentries strolled past them, not even sparing a glance.

Letting out a breath she'd been holding, the female turned back to Cutler, "If Tron's really alive, you can count on me to stand by his side in this fight."

"Not now," Cutler responded, "It's still early, and many Programs in Argon have yet to be convinced. For now, I need you to help me spread the word, like I've asked others to do. You'll know when the time is right to help."

The male Program nodded, "I'll do what I can, you have that much from me."

"Thank you," Cutler smiled to show his graciousness, before peeking outside the alley to see if the coast was clear. "I think the soldiers are asking for a disk scanning," he reckoned, "I can draw their attention while you two sneak off."

The woman looked ready to protest, but her male companion laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "We need to get home," he whispered to her, "We can't do anything for this Program or Tron if we're caught now."

Sighing, she lowered he head, knowing they were right.

"Ready?" Cutler's voice brought them to full attention. "If I go left, I could create an opening for you on the opposite end." He turned to the male Program, "I'll signal you when the opening is clear. When I do, I want you to head right, and then turn down the third street on the left side. Your path should be clear from there."

All three Programs activated their masks and stepped closer to the entrance. Without warning, Cutler bolted from his hiding place, keeping to the left. Two NanoCycles hardly passed before he was noticed, and all guards moved to pursue him.

From what the male Program could see, Cutler's plan was so effective and the guards were so stupid, that they didn't need to be signaled. All the soldiers were moving to give chase, leaving the small group of civilians behind.

Both the male and female Programs sprinted out of the alley and turned right, following Cutler's directions and then headed left on the third street.

The Dark skinned Program spared a backward glance to ensure they got away okay, and smirked when he saw everyone giving chase, and the Programs left behind by the soldiers simply looked confused. Oh well.

It seemed that not all the guards were dumb though, as one of them had the sense to call for backup. Before he knew it, a recognizer cut off his most direct route, and three lightcycles blocked any other escape route. The sentries that chased him from behind completely lined up on the street and offered no opening.

Cutler saw that the only possibility to escape was to fight his way out. It's obvious that he's overstayed his welcome in Arsenic.

Without hesitation, the Program drew his disk and rushed to the nearest guard. He jumped high in the air and kicked the sentry in the throat, twisting around in midair while activating his disk to slash through another guard's helmet. As both opponents collapsed, everyone else rushed him.

Cutler dodged a disk aimed at his abdomen, and caught the foot of a guard that tried to kick him. He yanked the leg to knock the guard off balance, and used him to shield another disk thrown at him, which derezzed the guard instead.

He swung his disk at a guard passing by him on a lightcycle; his entire head derezzed and the body joined soon afterwards. Docking his disk, Cutler boarded the lightcycle, and high tailed it out of there.

He revved the engine a couple of times and aimed straight for the line of guards blocking the street, all of them having the sense to dive out of his way.

Unfortunately, the other bikes and the recognizer gave chase. A few black guards jumped off the hovercraft and activated their light jets to shoot at him from above.

Cursing, the rebel made a sharp right turn and pushed his bike to go faster. Gaining a bit of distance, he then turned left down a narrow road, temporarily losing the soldiers behind him. Perhaps if he made it to the Outlands, he could shake them off and move on to Beryllium, or Indium next.

He gasped in surprise when an orange lightcycle drove past his only exit with the light wall activated. There wasn't enough time to halt his lightcycle, and he ended up crashing.

Cutler rolled across the street a few times, the surface uneven with cubes made his landing even more painful. He found himself surrounded by more guards as soon as he gained his bearings.

Just as he managed to shakily get to his feet again, two guards tackled him back down to the ground and bound him with light cuffs.

They hauled him to his feet roughly, and forced him aboard the recognizer to take him to their base of operations.

Surprisingly, as soon as they removed his mask, it didn't take long to identify him as the escapee from Argon. The General in control of the City reported their findings to his superiors in the Capitol, but Cutler wasn't present long enough to hear of his fate.

His best case scenario was a simple execution, quick and painless. Cutler kept his word to the Renegade and spread the word of Tron's return to hundreds of Programs from different Cities. Even with him gone, the rumors would spread like wildfire.

There would be no stopping the inspiration for Programs to rebel now.

Cutler was escorted to his cell, his cuffs were removed and he was shoved in right before the door sealed shut behind him, and his disk locked to his back. As he reclined on the bench, he looked at his surroundings.

The cell was different from what he quickly grew used to in Argon. Instead of force field-like walls, it was metal, impossible to see anything through it. The lack of connection to any part of the outside world seemed to make his imprisonment longer, more miserable.

Not knowing anything felt horrible, but Cutler fisted his hands, refusing to show any weakness or fear as long as he remains alive.

He accomplished his goals, and the two Programs got away okay as far as he could see, so that was enough for him.

After what felt like MylaCycles, the door to his cell opened, and was immediately flanked with guards. He didn't fight them this time, there was no point. The best he could do now was uphold his sense of pride and not make a fool of himself.

If it's the last thing he'd do, Cutler would make sure to go down with his pride still intact. The soldiers placed cuffs on his wrists and unlocked his disk before he was escorted down their maze of hallways towards a well reinforced door at the far wall.

The room inside was dimly lit, and ominous looking with all the machines inside. Cutler began to feel a bit of suspicion, and fear. Would they try to interrogate him?

If so, he knew nothing of the Renegade's identity or his exact whereabouts, so there was little he could offer them if he even wanted to talk.

He was pulled to a halt as one guard snatched his armband, examined it, and then placed it on a table nearby. The cuffs were then removed.

What were they doing? Were these soldiers so twisted that they didn't want to see him die without the futile effort to save himself?

No, the Occupation wasn't like that. They didn't play games, but were more interested in killing a Program quickly so they could move on to the next one sooner.

Then he was shoved into a transparent cylinder and sealed inside. As soon as the machines warmed up around him, Cutler began to connect the dots.

No.

They were going to repurpose him.

He fisted his hands and banged at the glass, but it didn't break.

When everything was fully operational, Cutler began to feel a buzzing sensation on the back of his head. It was distracting his train of thought.

It also seemed to pull him into a trance.

He could describe it as hypnotic, and it tempted him to simply close his eyes, and sleep.

There wasn't much time left for him to fight it, and everyone knew that fact.

Eventually, Cutler dropped his hands, and let them sag at his sides.

His disk detached from his back and rose to hover above his head.

Feeling the instinctive urge to grab his disk, to retrieve it, he raised both hands above his head, but it was just out of reach, and he didn't have the energy in him to jump.

He felt pins and needles all over his body as soon as his code was extracted from his body.

All physical feeling and emotion was lost when he felt his lost code replaced with something else.

Something what wasn't his.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

**So for this one, I decided to cover the characters that I nearly forgot about. I'll be honest with you guys, I'm running on fumes for ideas on this book as far as planning goes, so if there's no more suggestions, the next chapter will be that extra bit about Ally after she wakes up at the end of the book (it could have been tagged onto the third book, but then decided to let you guys run with your imaginations a bit on that). And on top of that chapter, will include "trailers" for the next Tron fanfic I plan to write, and a Transformers book that I was convinced to publish on this site, courtesy of the support from my friends.**

**I know that I told you guys I'd be writing another Tron fanfic after this, and I still could, but the interests of my readers matters to me. With that said, I've put a poll on my profile page so you guys can vote on your preference. Please just keep in mind that whichever fanfiction universe you guys choose will involve diving deep into fandoms and expanding on ideas and a few plots in the later timeline straight from my head. ;D**

**I'll just point out that each book will include an OC of my own, of which will follow the plotlines as far as cannon goes, but I'll be adding in my own details, and eventually expanding into my own ocean of ideas. After all, cannon should only go so far, before a writer should try to add something into a book that makes it uniquely theirs...besides their inserted characters.**

**I figured it's just worth mentioning that whichever option on the poll wins, will be a series I'll focus entirely on, and will last longer than 5 or 6 books, indefinitely. Choose wisely. There will be romance in each, just not as horrendous as it was in this book series. In fact, it'll take a while for it to develop in each respective fanfiction, and it will be focused more on the action.**

**So...I hope I've explained enough to you guys, and look forward to hear from you all soon with your choices! :)  
Until then, dear readers. TRON LIVES! Toodles.**


	13. Loose Ends

**Greetings, Programs! Remember the good old days when I used to update on Saturdays? Well here's to that memory! (I would have updated on Tuesday, but I'm going to be busy this week)  
So, yeah...this is the very last chapter I'm submitting for The Revolution Begins. I've waited 2 years for this moment. It's been quite a ride, and I appreciate the final request to focus on Paige and Pavel, as well as why they've never gotten along. I'll be honest, I may have glossed over everything too quickly, but you guys can be the judges of that. Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Loose Ends**

Paige's POV

Shame was an understatement of how she felt.

Humiliation didn't begin to cover it.

Anger boiled within and mutated into something more sinister.

Paige could not believe herself.

After reporting to Tesler to hand back the data cube and cleaning herself up, she turned in to her quarters for her sleep cycle.

Despite her exhaustion, however, she knew her inner turmoil would be keeping her up for a while.

The Renegade.

She couldn't keep that blasted Program out of her head. He betrayed her.

Just when she was beginning to trust him, to believe that maybe he deserved to explain himself, to share why he fought.

He seemed like a decent guy…until he turned tail and left her dangling off a cliff with hardly a backward glance.

Not that she blamed him; she'd probably do the same thing to the criminal.

If there was one Program she had to despise more than the Renegade though, would be Pavel. Most of the outward negativity she was feeling was mostly directed at her colleague.

She only felt more…hurt from the Renegade's actions.

While the female didn't believe in the fictional concept of love at first sight, she knew firsthand that utter dislike was possible even before making a first impression.

That's how it went down between Pavel and herself.

Just one look into those pale, piercing eyes was enough to know that there was something not right with that Program. Those few XilaCycles ago, she saw it.

…

Back when Tesler rescued her from the Gallium massacre, she was brought onboard his ship, and as she passed by, glanced into an open room to witness a brutal interrogation with a civilian Program and the Commander.

Although, she was told that the civilian was a criminal, supposedly an ISO sympathizer, she didn't believe that he deserved torture.

If anything, a quick, painless death would be more than sufficient.

Clearly, the male Program's thoughts didn't agree with her, as he grinned wickedly, and smacked the prisoner with a stun pike.

Watching made her sick, and Paige did her best to avoid him at least until she settled down into her new life.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the same plan.

If there was one thing besides dishonesty and betrayal that peeved Paige, it was anyone that poked their nose in business not concerning to them. It seemed that was exactly the commander's goal, too. Every time they passed in the hall, he'd give her this smile that outright creeped her out, and try to make small talk with that velvety voice that could only be described as annoying.

Some part of her felt that he wasn't exactly a people person, and being friendly didn't come easy to him; and it could be true, but whenever she caught sight of Pavel, it was clear that something was off.

It looked like he was plotting something, but the very thought sent chills down her back, and Paige thought it best to not find out. She didn't think she'd like it very much.

Like any new recruit, Paige started out from the bottom as a rookie. It was the strength and cunning that came from sheer willpower and determination that had her smoothly climbing the ladder of the ranks. All of it began slowly, but surely.

She even made the decision to change her sense of style regarding her outfit, and even grew out her hair and bangs, pulling it up into a small bun and left several strands to frame her face.

Over time, she began to see more ominous clues from the Commander. Once, she even caught him glaring at Tesler's back after being chewed on a rough cycle, something regarding his incompetence at not getting something done right. Paige would never forget that unveiled hatred for the General that spelled out pain with a promise reinforcing it.

That's when she decided to get the bearings to confront Pavel.

"Paige, what a pleasant surprise!" he greeted with a grin that immediately made her question if this was a good idea. "I'm afraid that I have a busy cycle ahead of me," Pavel continued, "So if it's time consuming, I'll have to ask you to wait, darling."

It was being addressed as "darling" so dismissively that made her straighten and narrow her eyes. "Commander Pavel," she scolded, "You may be my superior by rank, but I will not take that condescending tone from you. I came to discuss with you in regards to the threatening look you fixed our general with last cycle."

Now it was Pavel's turn to stiffen, and his eyes flashed before he concealed it with a neutral gaze. "Is that so?" he purred, "Perhaps I can make time to talk for the moment," the commander gestured to the space to his side before he turned in that direction and started walking, "Follow me,"

She fixed him with a glare that meant she wanted no funny business, and grudgingly trailed behind the Program. Pavel unlocked a door and entered without a backward glance. It slid closed silently after Paige passed through.

Folding her arms, she watched as the commander leaned over a desk and sorted through notes and several data pads. "I've been waiting," he began, shifting two particular data pads to the side and neatly stacked the rest in one of the corners, "To see how long it would take to push your buttons." He spared her a glance and smirked.

"What's the point in wanting to know that, anyway?" Paige queried, "I don't work for _you_," she put in.

Pavel hummed in agreement, opening a drawer to lay one of the separate data pads in before closing it again, "Not directly," he corrected, "Unless our dearest General orders it, anyway."

Paige narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "What do you hate about Tesler, anyway?"

"Now what makes you assume that I hate him?" he countered in that annoyingly smooth voice, turning around completely to face her, "I will point out that last cycle was very busy, stressful, and I had followed a direct order that resulted in more trouble that it was worth." Pavel reached behind him to pick up the other separate data pad to look through, glancing up at Paige now and then. "In my defense, I had warned him that it wouldn't work out as our dearest General had anticipated, but which would you have done, Officer?"

Paige felt more and more uncomfortable the longer she was studied. "Either way, I was going to get in trouble," Pavel informed her, "It simply could have been the result of not following orders, or because he didn't get what he wanted when I did as ordered." He leaned closer, "Here's what makes it interesting, because I was the cause of recent chaos downtown, as the result of public examples made by criminals, and I'm the one at fault, even though I had taken such instructions from Tesler."

Paige didn't avert her gaze when the commander occasionally glanced up to make eye contact as he spoke. While he was making sense, it still didn't completely answer her question. The other Program seemed to sense her impatience and got to the point. "Considering his high and powerful position as General, he can't afford to make mistakes. Not only his job, but even his life hangs in the balance. Of course, that's how scapegoats become useful, and you could imagine my frustration as a result."

Paige couldn't find the right words to respond. His defense was legit, but a nagging part of her mind couldn't help but suspect that he was trying to manipulate her, so she didn't let her guard down. She could help but soften her stern gaze though. "That doesn't call for the venomous look you gave him, though." she pointed out.

The commander observed her with schooled features that gave nothing away, "Perhaps," he mused, "Although you're the only Program to ever question me."

She furrowed her eyebrows, "That says a lot about you and your attitude," she rolled her eyes, "And I don't know what's making you want to _push my buttons_, but I want you to stop and give me my space."

To her surprise, all Pavel did was chuckle. "You're full of surprises, aren't you, my friend?" he murmured, but then stiffened when Paige stormed over without warning, invaded his personal space, and shoved her face directly in front of his, making him retreat. He didn't look afraid though, in fact, he looked curious and…amused?

That made Paige all the more frustrated with him.

"There's a lot of things you'll discover about me: the good, the bad, and the ugly." She declared, "And trust me, you don't want to be around to figure out the differences between them, because you won't like it. From my first impression of you, I saw a sadist who looked gleeful in dragging out a torture session of an ISO sympathizer. And while I'm not taking that Program's side, I'm disgusted that you didn't simply kill him outright instead."

As the Officer continued to rant, Pavel looked less amused and more annoyed now. Paige then fixed him with the strongest scowl she could muster, and concluded her speech. "I know that there's something off about you, and the longer I'm around, the more I feel that I'll be stabbed in the back. So don't come near me unless it's ordered, or absolutely necessary," she hissed, "I'm done playing as the timid, inferior, and helpless girl, and I'm stepping up as the best soldier that I know I can be. Commander or not, I see morality as enough justification to put you in your place if I feel that you're overstepping boundaries. We are not friends, and I don't ever see us becoming more than colleagues. Get that through your thick head before you dare to call me _darling_ ever again."

There it was, she tore him down, insulted, and threatened him all at once, and for the first time, Paige noticed how he truly regarded her.

She would be lying if she ever dared to claim that seeing his true colors wasn't scary and threatening, but there wasn't anything he could truly do to her without getting into more trouble than he was at the moment. It's clear that she hit him spot on with her accusations and struck a few nerves with her righteous vows.

Paige knew that she did more than irritate him. She officially made an enemy.

Glowering, Pavel spoke up yet again with that annoying voice of his that made her just want to grab his throat and squeeze so he couldn't talk. "Be careful, Paige," he sneered, "You'll be surprised to find that I'm not the only Program that can be threatening. You'll find that Tesler isn't nearly as moral or righteous as you believe him to be, and it'll show over time as you get to know him more."

She chose to ignore his jabs towards the General, and turned on her heel.

"Have a pleasant cycle," she snarled, before stomping through the door and out of the room, stopping dead in her tracks just after the doors closed.

She inhaled shakily and looked at her hands that only recently itched to lock around the commander's throat. What was wrong with her? The Program never recalled disliking anyone so much before. She never imagined doing such a thing to Quorra before, even after the despicable betrayal of her trust that resulted in the loss of her friends and previous job.

Paige needed to train, to get rid of this sudden pent up energy.

As if attacking a dummy or sparring with a simulated Program would do much to relieve the young woman of her anger, but it was the best idea she had without doing anything she'd regret.

It wasn't her anger at the moment that had her worried, but what could potentially await her in the future. Now that it's clear she won't get along with Pavel very well, how difficult will her job be? How safe is she now?

…

Surprisingly, Pavel appeared to use more words than actions, did nothing but glare at Paige and Tesler's back more often, though rarely exchanged hostile words with the female Program.

It wasn't until they came to Argon City and the Renegade issue started that Pavel started appearing to take a few steps in the direction of treachery, petty as they were, it was still threatening.

She was still fuming and plotting her own revenge over being left stranded on that island after crashing in her light copter.

This rivalry between Pavel and herself was a continuous cycle of veiled insults and threats, to sabotage and even pranks on their own behalf. The best part is that Tesler hardly noticed their hostility towards each other. His oblivion was the only thing that made Paige want to snicker behind his back, but refrained, trying to be professional and respectful towards her superior.

Over her time of living as a soldier, she managed to get herself under control through various methods of self-discipline, and grew quite well into her newfound duty as Commander. Paige didn't feel any more violent urges to hurt Pavel, but was more annoyed than anything, and her confidence turned her into a Program so unlike the former medic that was brought in to start a new life.

As much as Paige hated to admit it, Pavel was right about General Tesler, and how he wasn't exactly who she thought he was in the beginning. It didn't change too much about her thoughts of her leader, and found herself constantly justifying his actions and the reasons behind him, such as the strict rule he's keeping on Argon and why there were such strict rules.

With a Renegade running about the streets, he was not about to let any other take on his example, and is constantly delivering the message that his actions would not be tolerated, and he will be brought to justice.

Seeing and accepting that this is her new life, Paige saw it fitting to not dwell on her past, but to keep her lessons in mind, and learn from them so she can be better prepared for the future.

Paige is officially done with playing nice. Not only would she avenge her friends and bring the Renegade to justice, but she would do her best to ensure that no other Program has to go through the pain she had.

**…**

Ally's POV

Alpha staggered on the street, constantly looking around to admire her surroundings. All the buildings, the signs, and the Programs were all colorful, decorated uniquely to their tastes.

While she wouldn't admit it aloud, she felt uncomfortable as the oddball, and stood out in her bland look of a simple grid suit with her neon green circuits.

Looking around, she doesn't miss how every now and again; someone will pull something out of a hidden pocket of their suit. Curious, Alpha checked over herself and found several storage pockets in her suit and looked through them.

To her surprise, she found something in one of them: a pair of shades. There was something significant about them, but the more she tried thinking about it, the more her head started hurting again. She'd have to seek medical attention to consult about that issue…if only she knew where she was going.

She sighed and put the shades on her head like a headband of sorts that didn't do anything to hold back her hair. Alpha didn't feel like doing anything to alter her sight, even if a few strobe signs here and there made them hurt.

Alpha took her time mustering up enough courage to make her first interaction with another Program. She had the knowledge in her programming, but considering she'd been stranded in the Outlands for MylaCycles on end, she never was able to put those to use besides instinct to run away from Grid Bugs, or to drink from the energy springs.

"Um, excuse me?" she timidly tapped a random Program's shoulder. Backing up a few steps, she blinked and analyzed his appearance as the male took his time turning around. His white hair was almost as pale as his skin, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" he queried, seeming to look her over almost as much as she was for him. The stranger didn't appear threatening, so she allowed herself to relax a bit, and smile sheepishly.

"D-Do you…happen to know," she shook her head and corrected herself, "Would you be so kind to point me in the direction of the nearest medical center?"

Appearing confused, the male looked her over again, seeming to conclude that he doesn't see any visible injuries. Alpha shifted nervously from one foot to another as his eyes narrowed and he scrutinized her.

"You seem oddly familiar," he muttered, before shaking his head to clear the thoughts, and pointed over her shoulder. "Follow the signs and-" He trailed off. Turning to follow the direction he was pointing, she noticed that there were multiple signs on a street corner with directions to various public buildings, such as clubs, vehicle maintenance stations, and the nearest hospital.

Alpha turned around again to smile gratefully, "Thank you," and then paused at the look on his face.

"You have no disk," he blurted, "How long have you been without one?"

She frowned at his newfound behavior. "Uh, all I remember is waking up by the Sea, and I've wandered the Outlands for the past couple MylaCycles…" she immediately shut up when his expression went from confused and concerned to outright shock and amazement.

Then he grabbed her arm and started pulling her along.

"H-Hey!" she protested, trying to break free from his grip. "What are you doing?!"

She heard the stranger mutter something to himself, as he continued walking, and then she noticed that he was leading her to the hospital.

Realizing that he was only helping, Alpha stopped struggling and allowed herself to be led by the arm. Upon entering the building, they were immediately greeted by the receptionist in a friendly voice.

"Welcome to Neon's clinic," she chirped with a friendly smile, "How may I help you?" Alpha didn't miss the look that passed through her eyes before it was quickly concealed.

"Uh," she paused, trying to figure out how she word everything out.

Her self-proclaimed guide beat her to the punch. "She needs a disk." he informed the receptionist, "And she claims that she woke up on the seashore. Do you think that she could be an ISO?"

Alpha looked between them, confused, "Actually, I'm here because I keep getting headaches," she admitted, "And this nice man offered to bring me here."

She watched as they looked at each other, and shifted nervously. "D-Did I say something wrong?"

The receptionist shook her head. "No, no, I'm just confused," she replied quickly, and fixed the male Program with a curious gaze, "It's just…I don't think there's ever been an ISO that's already known social norms, so you must not have been newly rezzed," she pulled small flashlight out of nowhere and shined it in Alpha's eyes, "It could be your subconscious helping you along, but for now I'll analyze your code."

The young female medic pressed a button on her desk and spoke through a microphone, "Could someone please watch the door and man the desk while I have a look at someone?" she paused before adding, "Thank you."

Smiling, she led Alpha and her male accompanist to an elevator and climbed to the third floor, and found themselves in a sterile, shiny room with several different machines lining the wall and a bed in the center of the room.

"This is where we look at a Program's code without using their disk," she explained, "This place is rarely used, because very few Programs ever lose their disk now…unless it was stolen."

Wordlessly, Alpha lay down on the bed, and the male Program stepped closer. "So, how will this operation work?" he asked, glancing at the medic, who smiled back at him reassuringly.

"I'm only going to run a scanner over her body to look at her code structure as identification." She explained, "There's hardly any purpose to remove a Program's suit anymore." With that, she approached Alpha with a small device in hand, and ran a scanning web, much like a laser, over her whole body and then plugged the tool into a machine nearby.

Curious, Alpha and her accompanist stepped closer as they looked over the triple helix that made up the base of her entire programming and code.

"Well," the medic seemed to be searching for the right words, "It doesn't appear that she's an ISO, so that's ruled out." Turning away from the machine, she picked up a data pad and tapped through the screen menus, "Do you know your name, a way to identify yourself?"

Alpha tilted her head, now seeing the expectant gaze in the medic's eyes, "Alpha," she answered, but stepped back when she saw the medic's expression dramatically change.

The Special flinched when the data pad was dropped, broken glass littered the floor and saw the medic's face contorted in disbelief and awe. She turned to see her male accompanist shocked as well. Alpha watched them lock eyes with each other and a silent communication seemed to pass through them, like they were thinking the same thing.

"What's the big deal?" she suddenly blurted out, "It's just a name…right?"

The medic violently shook her head to snap out of her faze, and picked up a walkie-talkie. "Maggie? Could you please bring Beck into the clinic? Floor 3, room 347," she paused to hear the static, and a compliant answer.

In all honesty, Alpha felt a bit creeped out from the way that the medic was beaming brightly, like she was proud of something, but there was also a hint of sadness. "Oh dear, I'm sorry you lost your memory like that."

Her male accompanist seemed to shake his head in disbelief, "I don't believe it," he was unable to hide his astonishment, "In all the Cycles I've lived, I never expected to meet you." He straightened up and grinned. "You're a hero, you know,"

Alpha found it was her turn to be surprised, "W-What?!" she exclaimed, "That can't be right," she sat down on the bed again, her headache returning.

"Everyone thought you were dead," he continued, stepping closer, "All that was left after the Grid was saved was your disk washed on shore of the Sea. All your friends were devastated," he added in a murmur.

She could do nothing but shake her head, and brought her hands up to massage her temples. It felt like her head was going to split in half, the pulse of her energy circulation felt so powerful that it was like her entire body was throbbing.

Alpha groaned and lay down again when her vision swam in front of her.

The entire room went silent and the medic wordlessly handed the young female a glass of energy, her expression unreadable now.

"If Alpha were to get her disk back," her male accompanist suggested, "She'd get her memories back, but would that fix her headache?"

The medic took time to think it over, "I believe," she started hesitantly, "That her headaches are the result of trying, and failing to remember her past, so yes, I think getting her disk back would help immensely." She picked up another tool and scanned Alpha's body, "On another note, you seem to be in very healthy shape, considering you've been wandering the Outlands for Users know how long,"

"Almost 6 MylaCycles," she answered softly, surprising her male companion again.

"That's more than just a couple!" he gawked.

There was a pregnant pause. "My bad," she replied unenthusiastically, unable to hold back her snarky attitude. Sitting up, she downed the glass of energy and handed it back to the medic.

Alpha nearly jumped to the ceiling when the door suddenly opened and two Programs entered: a man and a woman.

The new female was hardly spared more than a glance, because Alpha's attention was on the male that stood before her, rigid and still, his expression yielded no clue to anything.

His hair was brunette and neat with spikes layered in the front, and his eyes were such a dark brown that she found herself getting lost in them.

Then he slowly moved closer, as if he thought his eyes were deceiving him.

"Ally?" he tried to keep himself composed, but even Alpha could see that he was ready to break down.

Her headache came back with a vengeance and groaned in pain, lying down again with her arms clutching her head. Spots danced across her vision and she closed her eyes to get rid of them.

She felt hands on her shoulders, being pulled up and held in a set of warm, strong arms while something was connected to the empty holder on her back.

Like magic, the pain in her head dulled down until it was nonexistent, and memories in chronological order flashed through her mind. The sudden amount of data she was processing was unexpected and sudden that she found herself gripping whoever was holding her.

Eventually, she opened her eyes to find that her head was resting on a shoulder, arms tightly wound around her torso, and her own arms wrapped around the underside of the Program's arms and gripping the back of his shoulders.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly pulled away to lock eyes with the Program that was holding her close. "Yes, Beck?" she asked, earning herself a pained laugh and a hugged so tight that the pain from lack of breathing was proof that she hadn't died from the reintegration.

Without warning, Beck kissed her. It was a quick, tender peck before he picked her up bridal style. Alpha, after all that she's been through, didn't protest, and wrapped her arms around his neck to nuzzle her face into his chest. "You know," she mumbled, "Liz and Zoe is going to kill me for the stunt I've pulled,"

That earned another weak laugh from Beck, "Not after all the time spent thinking that you were dead," he paused, "Well, I don't think Liz believed you died, so don't expect mercy from her."

Smiling, she glanced at the two medics – one of them she recognized as Maggie – and her male accompanist to the hospital, and mouthed "Thank you," to them gratefully, before the doors slid closed behind them.

During the elevator ride down, she looked up at Beck's face, "You know what I missed most about you?" he whispered, "Your eyes, the way they sparkle when you're happy."

Sighing contently, she relaxed completely in his arms for the first time in so long, "I'll tell you that I certainly never missed the Grid Bugs," she smirked, "They practically chased my amnesiac ass all over the Outlands before I happened to stumble across this lovely City," she cupped a hand behind his head to kiss him again.

"But I'll tell you what I missed," Leaning closer, Alpha grinned, "That incredible gentleman who constantly demonstrated courtesy, while living a double life as a bad boy roaming the streets,"

She savored the fond look Beck gave her as they exited the hospital and strode down the streets. At the looks people gave the couple, Alpha found herself shifting uncomfortably. "You know, the medic told me that I'm healthy," she commented, "So I can walk on my own two feet."

Beck snorted and shook his head, "There's something I want to show you," he told her, ignoring the comment regarding her physical wellbeing.

Growling, she moved to punch him, but it's clear she was out of practice, and he easily caught her hand, outright laughing now, and adjusted her so she was now slung over his shoulder.

He then entered a building with flashing colors and lights everywhere, the air vibrating with music. They're in a club.

Wordlessly, she was deposited onto a stool at the bar and watched as Beck sat down next to her. "Two glasses, please," he requested from the bartender, who had their back turned as their glasses were being filled.

Alpha's eyes widened and stared at the Program when they turned around. The bartender locked eyes with her and set down the glasses, and reached for a lighter and an energy cigarette. "Well look who's come crawling back from the dead yet again," she rolled her eyes and took a swig, "Guess you're not beyond anyone's help, after all."

Finally getting herself under control again, Alpha smirked, "Well if it isn't Kevin Flynn's mother," she teased, causing Beck to choke on his drink from trying not to laugh.

Grinning back, Alyss leaned forward and blew her smoke in Alpha's face, and to her credit, didn't cough. "I see someone's not as blind as they used to be." The bartender flicked away her cigarette and dramatically gestured to their surroundings. "Welcome to the Rainbow Bandit 2.0!"

* * *

**...I figured that instead of bringing in Zoe, Ace, Liz, or anyone else, Alyss sort of deserved to pop up before everything draws to a close. After all, Ally's friends all had their wonderful endings, and Alyss was the final loose end to tie up. The medic and her male accompanist shall remain anonymous not only because I've used so many names, but not every Program on the Grid can be focused on. They basically represent the regular populations across the Grid now.**

**Moving on...**

**Alright now, these are the trailers! Probably not my best work, but I had to get something out while avoiding spoilers...especially for Transformers (which will be Bay's storyline with my tweaks here and there...I won't be delving deep into it until *spoiler alert* the third series I have planned for that!) and the surprises that await in Tron! (Don't forget to check out my poll for your voting decisions if you haven't already)**

* * *

**Tron Trailer:**

"I'm going to make you look absolutely fabulous." Ginger grinned widely at me and proceeded to look through her closet of doom and table full of torture devices called makeup.

"You're going to make me look sleazy and undignified." I deadpanned with a pout to complete my sullen mood. "I'm still trying to figure out how you convinced me to tag along to this party."

Ginger laughed, "Because I threatened to hogtie you and throw you in the trunk to bring you there anyway, so as my argument goes, you do still have a sense of dignity."

Groaning, I pressed my face into her bedspread and mumbled, "Somebody just shoot me now."

…

I proceeded to follow the ex-jerk, "Kristophen, you have to listen," I begged, forgetting my own pride for the moment, "I swear, someone's been stalking me for the past two weeks or so, and I don't think the police are going to do much for me."

That made him freeze in his tracks, "Two weeks?" I nodded, and he started advancing on me, "What is wrong with you?!" He paused, "Does lover boy know?"

"I haven't told Riley yet," I admitted, "I didn't want to worry anybody,"

Kristophen frowned, "Well congratulations," he sneered, "You completely failed at that," and started dragging me to his motorcycle.

…

I gripped the desk in front of me as I tried to get my breathing under control. Considering my life threatening experience less than ten minutes ago, I can definitely say I've had better days.

The pistol's image still danced in my vision, taunting and tormenting me, and I laid my shaking hands on the surface of the cool desk. I heard a chirp coming from it, the humming as machinery warmed up, and I saw a light illuminating the room.

Forgetting everything that's happened tonight, I gladly let my curiosity distract me and realized that it was a computer. Just what did Kevin Flynn try so hard to hide from the world and his own son?

Squinting at the screen, I saw it was requesting a login password. Pursing my lips, I dug into my pocket for my flash drive. "Alright Gus," I muttered, "Don't let me down. Find the backdoor." and I plugged it in.

It took almost five minutes for the program to install, but I wasn't complaining. Once I got in, I couldn't help but wonder what the password was, so I checked.

3V0LUT10N

Evolution? I frowned at the desk, remembering that it was mentioned in his last known recording about a mysterious pet project he'd been working on. Was this it?

Throwing common sense out the window, I accessed his history and gazed down the list for his most recent activity.

"What's Laser Control?" I whispered, and clicked on it.

**Aperture Clear?**

**Yes No**

Pressing my lips together, I weighed my options, shrugged, and pressed Y.

What's the worst that could happen?

…

I did my best to keep my expression neutral as I eyed the strangely dressed person in front of me. Epic fail of the century.

"You're Gus?" I asked in astonishment, earning a nod.

The Program bore a resemblance, blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, but…

"Why are you a boy?" I blurted.

He shrugged, "How should I know? You're my User, you wrote my code," and I winced.

Now I'm confused AND embarrassed. My own creation just insulted me, and I guess I deserved it.

"Don't worry about it now; we need to get you somewhere safe,"

"S-Safe?" I repeated, "Aren't Users supposed to be welcomed?" Oh, wait; humans don't usually enter their computer. This is a Program's domain. Oops.

The point blank he gave me just made me want to disappear from humiliation. This isn't going very well, and he sighed, probably thinking the same thing, "Let's…just get you to Abby."

"Who?"

…

"I hate heels," I grumbled, making the Siren nearby roll her eyes.

"Deal with it," she retorted, "They'll help you blend in better,"

Crossing my arms, I decided to test her, "Do all females wear heels?"

"No, but most do-"

"Then take them off," I interrupted, much to her displeasure, "I'm not built like a Program, and I don't feel like getting any shortened calves and Achilles tendons while having to deal with back pain."

Wow, I wish I had my camera with me now, just to keepsake the look on her face right now. I smirked in satisfaction.

"Brat," she muttered, and fiddled with my disk. My satisfaction disappeared faster than the heels. I don't like her very much.

…

My neck craned as I looked up, eyes wide, "Now that is a tall building,"

Abby turned to Gus and me, "Okay, this should be a quick in and out operation. There's most likely undercover sentries in the club to look for anything suspicious, and we need to ask Zuse what patrol looks like near the portal. We can grab some light jet batons from the black market later."

"L-Light jets?" I stuttered, "But I'm afraid of heights," I started protesting with clenched fists.

The siren rolled her eyes yet again, "Gus, you can babysit her for a while, I'm done for now," and strode past me toward the elevator.

I huffed and crossed my arms, "Rude." I commented, and moved to follow the siren with Gus, and refrained from looking through the glass window as we ascended.

…

"What exactly is your brilliant plan now?" I inquired and turned to look back at the siren, and nearly yelled in shock. She looked almost like a replica of me, from the hair and eyes to the way she stood and stared at me. "Abigale?"

"The plan is for me to allow you a getaway in the hands of some User sympathizers I know while leading Hunter and Clu's forces off your trail," she explain quickly as she led me down a street, shoving my cloak's hood over my head.

"Hunter? You mean that ninja from the train?" I asked, the fear evident in my voice, "He…certainly lives up to his name."

Abby huffed, "Indeed, and he's a hacking Program, like me, who specializes in tracking down criminals to bring to Clu," she looked at me with an unreadable gaze. "So far, he's never failed in his duty."

"Wait…what?!" I gasped.

"Good luck," she answered, daring to sound careless, and nodded to a Program approaching us, most likely a sympathizer to help me now, and I watched, helpless, as she darted in a random direction, disappearing into the shadows.

Why? Just why must the universe condemn me?

…I can't be that much of a brat.

* * *

**Transformers Trailer:**

"Uh…so," I spared a glance towards the awkward teen that sat up front in the car, "What's the…weather like in Britland?" He straightened and eyes went wide when he realized his mistake. "I-I mean, uh," He groaned and rubbed his face tiredly.

"Did you just say…Britland?" I questioned him in a steady voice, my gaze unwavering. The poor boy's face went tomato red in embarrassment, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Guess he couldn't figure out whether to use Britain or England. I certainly surprised him when I burst out laughing. "You…are funny," I grinned, "I think we'll get along just fine."

…

Sam tapped my shoulder, and I looked up from my book, "Yes?" I asked patiently, and Sam gestured to the table behind him.

"Could I get your opinion on my project?"

I set the bookmark in place, and strode over. The first thing I noticed was a compass, my eyes skimmed over them in interest, before looking at the cracked glasses, less interested. Then I settled for the poster that showed the Witwicky family tree.

Picking it up, I looked at his furthest ancestry before going further down. If I wasn't pale already, I'd be completely blanched from what I saw.

Noticing my stricken face, Sam stepped closer. "Is something wrong?"

I straightened up and shook my head fiercely, quickly setting the sheet of paper face down so he couldn't see it. "No, no," I clenched my teeth to give him a forced smile and picked up the compass, opening it up to explore the artifact further, "Everything's just fine." I lied through my teeth.

Sam picked up the poster and flipped it over again before turning to me, "You know, what I found in my research didn't look very neat, and I had some trouble figuring out names and which branch lines went where." He scratched his head, "There could be a few mistakes, but it looks alright to me."

Oh, gosh. Just how oblivious was this sorry kid?

I had to turn my head away so he wouldn't see my face. "Yeah, okay," I said monotonously, "Just make sure not to let anyone take a close look at the poster, alright? No one really cares about family trees anymore."

I don't know why he decided to eat up my words, but I he did. I suppose ignorance is bliss.

I'm going to be sure to burn that poster one day.

…

"Sam, I'm not going to say that your _beautiful_ car scares me, but-"

"It scares you?" he interrupted me with a cheeky grin.

"Shut up, I never said that," I snapped with a glare that could kill, "I'll simply comment that the aura it gives off is making me uncomfortable, and I'm not likely to go anywhere with you in that unless circumstances are dire."

He shrugged, uncaring, "Suit yourself."

"I will!" Huffing, I turned on my heel and strode into the house.

…

"Miles? Miles, listen to me. Listen. My car, it stole itself, okay?"

I shot him an incredulous look. "What the hell are you doing?" I snarled, "He can't help us!"

"Satan's Camaro. In my yard." He completely ignored me! "It's stalking me!" Sam squeaked into the phone.

I heard a click on the other end that indicated that Miles hung up on him and I snorted. "Some friend you have." I taunted, "Hey!" Sam grabbed me by the hand and headed for the door. "Shouldn't we stay indoors where we can't be seen, idiot?"

"It knows where we live!" He cried, "We have to fend for ourselves," I stood there and watched him grab his mother's bike and couldn't resist face palming, "It's survival of the fittest, okay?"

I did my best to continue breathing evenly, "If I wasn't witness to your car's capabilities, I'd officially deem you clinically insane,"

Sam growled in exasperation, "We need to go. Get on the handlebars or something!"

I crossed my arms, glaring, "Make. Me." I dared him.

…

"It's time to talk!" No one had the chance to say anything more because we crashed into something large and unyielding.

Is it Optimus Prime? Did he come to rescue us?

The car's roof was ruthlessly torn off and every passenger stared into the glowing red eyes of the huge metallic creature standing before us.

That's…not Optimus.

"Got any bright ideas, Mr. Ninnyhammer?" I whispered to the agent in the passenger seat in front of me, though I didn't expect an answer.

Tall dark and scary uttered something that was definitely not English, and aimed his cannon at us without warning. He growled darkly and I heard the weapon warming up.

We are so dead.

…

Everyone watched in astonishment as a bright beam of light entered the box. The Nokia phone shook and transformed.

"Aww, it's so cute!" I cooed.

The little creature chirped nonsense before it pulled a gun out of nowhere and started shooting at the glass around him. I noticed most of the people around me flinching, but I only grinned.

"That thing is freaky!" I heard Maggie exclaim, as it smashed it's whole body into the glass.

"That makes it even cuter!" I continued, and leaned closer.

Sam stared at me, "You have problems," I heard him mutter.

Shooting him a glare, I retaliated, "You should also realize that it's just a baby!"

"You mean like that other alien baby that attacked us with the police car?" He retorted, making me groan.

Touché.

…

Smirking at Bee's holoform, I pulled out my laptop and hacked into Sam's eBay account. I snorted at what I saw and snorted.

"What is it?" he asked me, and I turned the screen so he could see. The mech started laughing too.

"Hey, Sam," I called, interrupting his make out with Mikaela.

"What?" he asked, and I beckoned him closer with a Cheshire grin, barely withholding my giggles.

He looked at his page with the bids for listed items along with his entire profile, and he groaned. Unable to contain myself, I finally started laughing and started rolling on the ground. It was just too priceless.

* * *

**This was something kinda funny that I noticed when doing some research about Transformers: apparently Sam's family tree poster suggests inbreeding, so I thought it'd be crudely entertaining to include that. In comparison to the fanfictions I've read for Transformers, I'm going to be attempting things that both have and haven't been done by others before. Romance will not be anything of focus until after the first story (this also includes the Tron fanfic). As for Tron...well...majority of the beginning will take place in the User world (there will be A LOT of OC side characters brought up here and there to establish the story that I've had in my head ever since I've started this whole trilogy. :)  
**

**Also should mention...my next TRON series will consist of 7 books (Like Harry Potter! XD), while Transformers...has yet to be determined, but it will definitely be 6 or more (It all depends on when the next movie comes out, and if it turns out in favor for how I plan to end that series).**

**Until I feel ready to close the poll on my page, I'm going to test my writing abilities for Transformers by writing a shorter story, maybe 5 chapters or so, and it'll be centered on Skids and Mudflap's past...because I have a habit of tackling characters that aren't acknowledged as important or necessary :D (I'll just have to work on getting down their accents in dialogue. That'll be challenging)**

**Until then, dear readers...**

**TRON LIVES!**

**-End of Line**


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